Saga of the Storm
by the other four horsemen
Summary: When his brother was killed at the hands of John Rook, Ian swore revenge at any cost. In order to accomplish this dangerous mission, Ian must travel across the Pokemon world, making new friends, enemies, and finding himself along the way. FINISHED
1. Prologue: Big Brother

Prologue: Big Brother

Prologue: Big Brother

Author's note: if you are interested in competing battling a customized team of pokemon with your own indivualized Avatar, check out the forum Bellum island, for an awesome RPG battling experience.

**Prologue: Big Brother**

_It began… well, it's hard to say where it began. I guess you could start with the day I left Fortree City on my journey. You know, _the_ journey. That age old quest for Pokemon glory. Even since I was little, I had watched the battles on TV, collected the cards, waiting for the day when I could finally begin the trip myself. My brother… he left before I did, and now I've come full circle. One of the circles at least. This is how it begins…_

The sun was setting against the sea. That was something I wasn't used to; prior to this trip, the biggest body of water I'd even encountered had been the river by my house in Fortree. The bay windows of the airship framed the image perfectly, and even if I wasn't quite comfortable with hanging beneath a bag of metal and gas a mile above the ocean, it was still pretty cool.

I wasn't traveling alone: my older brother Matt was accompanying me and my best friend Richard to Kanto, the starting place of all great trainers; there were about thirty other passengers on the zeppelin as well. By the way, I'm Ian Cartright, of Fortree city, future Pokemon Champion. Don't believe me? We'll have to work on that.

It was all so simple just then…

…That was the last time it would ever be so simple.

Matt and Richard were eating dinner; I had been getting airsick the whole trip (it was two days from Hoenn to Kanto by air, flying high over the Whirl Islands) and I never was feeling quite myself. I wasn't the astoundingly fit one. That was always Richard. The guy could eat living Wailord and have no regrets, and probably run a five-minute mile afterwards. I'm more bookish, people say. The writer.

I saw another airship on the horizon, dark in color, and coasting along at much higher speed than us. If I thought anything of it at the time, it was quickly forgotten. There was suddenly a new interest to my eyes: a girl.

Now for those of you worried that this is going to turn into a love story, don't. Plenty of grit and blood coming right up, but you'll have to bear with me at some points.

She was beautiful as far as I could see. Hair the color of rusty iron that fell to her shoulders, a black sleeveless top and purple skirt... She was looking out the window to my right, so taken by the view that I was little more than wallpaper to her. Her stormy eyes watched the waves below, and I pushed my glasses up and adjusted my jacket. It was worth a shot…

"Yo Ian!" barked my brother, casually strolling down the deck toward me. The girl looked up, realizing she wasn't alone, gave me a nervous smile and walked off. I turned to glare at Matt and found he wasn't alone: Rich stumbled along behind him, flipping through a magazine he's picked up somewhere.

Despite my glare, Matt gave me an easy smile as he sauntered forth and continued talking. "You're dinner was getting cold so I let Richard eat it…"

"I was kind of busy there!" I said quietly, hoping not to alert the walking-away-girl.

"Huh? I don't see your computer…"

"No, I meant the girl." I turned around to show her to him, but the girl was already gone. "And… now she's gone."

"Relax, man," said Matt. "There will be other women; plus, I doubt you'd even figured out her name yet." Matt glanced back at Richard, who was still enthusiastically flipping through his magazine; just looking at the pictures. No offense to Richard, he's my best friend, but he's not the brightest pokeball in the bag. Suddenly, Matt started talking again. "Boys, I fancy a walk through down the axial catwalk; grant me the pleasure of your company."

He walked in usual slumped manner. I used to always wonder how he was able to walk like that all the time without throwing out his back. I also used to wonder why I always did what Matt suggested; go figure, but we followed him anyways.

I think the catwalks were supposed to be off limits to passengers, but that sort of thing never managed much to Matt. He led us past an 'EMPLOYEES ONLY' door and up a flight of stairs that rang like cowbells when we stepped on them. When we were up among the gas cells (which I wanted to stop and look at), Matt spied another stairway and motioned us toward it. We climbed quietly, Richard and I exchanging glances as we did. Matt must have had something in mind. We had no idea.

At the top of that flight of stairs was a small ceiling hatch. Matt pressed it upward lightly and air rushed in with a roar; the hatch led outside.

"Wait here, my lads," he said. Matt heaved the doorway open and climbed up onto the top of the airship.

Richard rolled up his magazine and tucked it into his pocket.

"So," he said excitedly. "Any plans for Kanto?"

"As long as we're still traveling together," I said, offering my fist. He bumped it with his and we discussed some of our ideas for our first weeks away from our families. Richard wanted the usual stuff: eating what he wanted, finding a girlfriend to travel with us (I shared his hopes on this one), competing the various gyms we'd heard so much about. My interests were, for the most part, the freedom, finding our own ways around, walking about at night. Finding a girlfriend sounded pretty nice too.

It was then that the hatch above us snapped open and Matt's head burst in. His easy smile was gone, and this worried me. Matt never stopped smiling. It was the primary thing about him that bugged me and the number one thing he had that I wanted. Other than his trainer skills, but anyway… No smileBad news.

"Guys… we've got a problem. Get up here. We need to get moving now."

"Get moving?" I asked, sounding unintentionally skeptical. "We are on a blimp, you know. Not really anywhere to move to."

"Jhoto is only a few miles to the north. You can see it on the horizon, see there? Now we need to get moving. Come on!" Matt grabbed Richard unexpectedly and pulled him up onto the top to the zeppelin. He barked at me to get moving, and with a reluctant sigh, I followed him.

The first thing that hit me when I got onto the zeppelin's top was the wind. It literally hit me, like an invisible train, and I bowled over, gripping desperately at ship's skin as realized that I there was nothing to catch me if I fell. I was wrong though, because Matt was there. He would have caught me; one of his Pokemon. I guess I was lucky.

Matt was at my side in an instant. He hauled me to me shaking feet and I finally got a good look around.

The dark airship I had seen earlier was closer; too close, in fact, its hull almost touching ours. There was an insignia painted on its side: it was stylized black eye with a yellow slit for a pupil. My heart rose into my throat as I realized who it was; pirates (I know that seems dumb and clichéd, but I swear it was the first thing that came to mind). Matt knew who they were though. I was just beginning to realize that then.

"The Storm's Eye," Matt said to us under his breath. "Bad news, these guys are. Rogues and thieves… they sort of rose to fill the gap left after the Rockets were shut down, you know? Personally, I think the Stormies are worse. Now, like I said, we need to get moving…"

Before Matt could finish his sentence, I buzz filled the air, and we were all blinded by a brilliant beam of yellow light. It was a Hyper Beam, I realized when my brain came out of sleep mode seconds later. I sat up; Richard had been knocked cold by the blast, but Matt had remained on his feet. A pair of black sunglasses now covered his pale green eyes, and I noticed for the first time that he had a completely packed rucksack slung over his shoulder. He took it off and handed it to me.

"Stay here," he ordered, pulling a Pokeball from a magnetic catch on his belt. He enlarged it and cast it to the top of the airship. There was a flash of red and huge golden dragon hung in the air a few feet from the airship's surface. With a chime, the ball returned to Matt's hand. His face was grave. "Stay here," said Matt again. He jumped onto the back of the Dragonite he had summoned and was gone.

I forced myself up and looked around. Dozens of flying Pokemon had risen from the dark airship, and… we were falling. It took a second to comprehend the massive hole that had been ripped in the airship's skin by the Hyper Beam. I shook Richard until he rose, looking around wearily, and shouted when he saw the Pokemon fluttering toward our airship in a variety of manners. He clambered to his feet and the two of us gazed up at the spectacle above.

There was a golden blur, and the leading wave of Pokemon fell, Body Slammed by Dragonite. Matt brought his Pokemon around, the two of them moving as one. Matt leapt into the air and kicked a Storm's Eye operative off his Pigeotto while Dragonite dealt with others below. The two reunited in mid air, Pokemon catching trainer and rising again.

Dragonite glided low over the rival airship, letting lose a Flamethrower onto the flammable skin. Now both airships were sinking, the Storm's Eye's enveloped in flames. The conflagration lent an evil tint to Matt's face; the hissing flames turned his sunglasses orange.

Richard was starting to look panicked. I could tell he wanted to be a part of the battle… but our journey hadn't yet begun. Matt's, however, was nearing its end.

He jumped from Dragonite's back to ship next to us and beckoned for us to follow. I was a little afraid to, I have to admit. He was starting to scare me… this was a side of my brother I had never seen.

"Ian," he said calmly, sidestepping the hole in airship's back. "And Richard. I haven't been entirely honest with you, I'm afraid. And Ian, if anything happens to me here, I want you to tell dad about all of this, got it?"

"What the hell?" I started to ask, but he cut me off with a wave of the hand.

"Just listen for now, ok? I'm a member of this group… we call ourselves the Hermes. We carry the messages of the people and enforce their secret laws. The Stormies… they're causing trouble, and it's been up to us to stop them several times in the past. They want revenge. They want _me_." He smiled cockily, letting me know the real Matt was still in there. "I _really_ don't want to give them what they want."

Matt whistled loudly for his Dragonite, which had been holding off the swarms of Pokemon that had escaped from the doomed Storm's Eye ship. To all of our surprise, Dragonite landed, but not on his feet. He was slammed into the deck –so hard that the airship rocked in its decent- by its rival dragon Pokemon: Salamance.

The Salamance roared, sounding like stressed metal, and crushed down on Dragonite until he sunk through the ruined airship's shell and onto the catwalks below. Salamence stormed in after its prey, but its rider stepped off in front of us.

The left and lower halves of his face were covered by a metal mask, like a negative of the Phantom of the Opera. His hair was midnight black, tinged with blue, and hung over his metal face in oily mats. He wore a white trench coat that bulged around his right arm, where some device seemed to be concealed. From what I could tell, his visible eye was amber, large, and calm.

"Matthew," the man said as to an old friend. He had a foreign accent that I couldn't quite place, and his voice was hushed by the mask. "You are doing well, I trust?"

"I'd be doing better if you were to fall down that hole behind you and impale yourself on something nasty." Matt smirked, reaching for a second pokeball. "No chance of that happening, I guess?"

The masked man shook his head. "Matthew, you have long troubled my friends and I at the Storm's Eye. You have been a bother that must end. Now."

"You certainly cut the chase, don't you?" I was getting worried. I hadn't been expected adventure this soon… or this adventurous. And now Matt was involved… I snapped back to reality as Matt continued to speak. "And by the way, don't call me 'Matthew'."

A chuckle came dryly from behind the mask. "You worry about such trivial things, my boy. You do realize your life is at an end?"

"I figure I've got more time than you think!" Matt rushed the masked man, shoving him roughly in the chest and sending him down the tear in the airship. My big brother turned to me, wiping off his hands on his jeans. "No, lets the get the hell out of here…"

He was about to call for Dragonite when it happened. I think even Matt was expecting to be followed, that the masked man had survived the fall. He knew, but he didn't react. I always tell myself that he knew, but deep down, I think Matt really didn't know what was going on. That's why he died.

I screamed at him, trying to warn him, but there was no time. The masked man rose through the hole he had been pushed down, riding the back of his Salamance. He raised a hand and pointed it at Matt. My brother started to turn, but never made it. Another flash; another burst of sound and light. The Hyper Beam tore through Matt's chest; red ribbons of blood sprayed out onto my arm and side.

I didn't even realize what was happening at the time, I just grabbed Matt to keep him from falling. _Just a slip, _I tried to tell myself, _Matt will be fine. Just give him a minute…_

…Richard was tugging desperately on my other sleeve and turned to look. Everything seemed to be in slow motion, but the masked man still moved quickly. His Salamance charged another attack, but just before it fired, the ground swelled and tore beneath my feet and I found myself lifted on a golden magic carpet. Dragonite lifted us up, into the air, and away, gliding into the sea.



The Salamance looked at her master, her dragon eyes asking a very good question: _Do we follow them?_

The masked man shook his head and stroked his Pokemon's snout. His master's airship was gone, many of his bravest and stupidest men dead at Matt's hands, and his surely killed. The masked man spun up onto his ride's back and they were off, headed toward the darkening skies of Kanto, where his master was waiting.



Dragonite somehow managed to glide all the way to shore, carrying me, Richard, and dying Matt down a beach somewhere in southern Johto. It wasn't until we had landed that I realized how grave Matt's condition was. There was a hole about one foot in diameter in his lower stomach. It was horrible, gruesome, and somehow, Matt still had a little cocky life in him.

"See what I mean?" he whispered. "Nasty devils, these Stormies."

"Matt," I said; I realized I was crying, my tears dripping on Matt's blood soaked sweater. He smiled and blood dribbled out the side of his mouth, coating his lips. I almost vomited.

"Don't worry bro," he said. "Don't worry about me. You've got a whole life ahead of ya to worry about. Listen to this: do what you love and screw everything else. Ok?"

"Ok…" my voice was audibly shaking. Matt tried to move his arm, decided against it, and then looked over at his Dragonite.

"Free to go, buddy," he said to the Pokemon. "Go make something of yourself. Thanks a bundle, you were always my best…" Matt's eyes began to close. He was dying… I panicked and shook him until his eyes opened again. They were paler than usual. "Ian, take the rest of Pokemon. You'll need 'em. Their all great… take care of 'em."

His eyes closed again, and this time, I didn't shake him. I still have no idea how he kept his head through the intense pain he must have been feeling. He still managed to communicate with me. Well, that was Matt for you…

"And Ian," he said, not opening his eyes. "That man, in the mask. His name was John Rook. No matter what happens, ever… don't let him get to Cassidy. I was supposed to protect her, and… he thinks she's dead with that airship, but she's not. I just know she's not…"

My mouth suddenly started working again, and almost unhinged as it "Cassidy? What the hell are you talking about Matt. Come on man, wake up! Matt? Listen, what are you talking about? Matt wake up!"

Matt's pupils dialated, vanishing into the mossy sea of his irises. He started laughing, a wild cackle that rose until he was scaring Pidgey from the trees behind us. The surf came up, and as went away, so did the last of Matt's life.

Richard was passed out on the sand, I desperately wished I was in the same condition. My eyes filled with salty tears and closed my big brother's eyes. My head fell to the sand, and my life fell apart like a shaken jigsaw puzzle…


	2. Chapter 1: Vines

Chapter 2: Vines

**Chapter 1: Vines**

It began with a sunset.

It continues into the night…

The skyline of Celadon City was outlined with lights, like it had been drawn up there by some monstrous kid with neon-colored markers. The city had perked up even more since the Rockets got kicked out about ten years ago. There were now upwards of 100 gaming centers and arcades, plus various other pleasure-providing joints…

I was walking through an alley, hoping Richard would buy my excuse about not feeling good. It usually worked, but then again, it was usually true. My Ivysaur padded along next to me, occasionally cooing softly at the passing garbage cans. 

We'd come a long way since the night my brother was killed, me, Richard, and our Pokemon. I guess most would say Matt had gone a long way too. We buried him in Azalea Town the day after; my dad came down a few days later to see the grave, but still insisted that Richard and I begin our journey. _It's what Matt would have wanted…_

Now, three gym badges later, we were trying to enjoy ourselves in Celadon City. I was finding this surprisingly easy. Battling kind of takes my mind off things, and I can't help but wonder if this is how Matt felt. Is this why he kept fighting?

Is this why he was so great at it?

I kicked a can that wind had caused to stray too close to my foot. After a few more minutes of walking, I found myself behind the original "Game Corner". The Rockets had once held a secret base in the basement of this building. Rumor had it that the base was occupied again… 

_Show Time_.

"Razor Leaf!" I hissed to Ivysaur. He nodded and shook his back, sending a volley of knife-sharp foliage into the streetlights at either end of the alley. In the dark, I clicked on my flashlight and began searching the ground… there was a trap door next to the Game Corner's back, slightly raised. It was exactly the kind of thing that usually led down to a basement. There was a padlock on the gate, but that didn't mean much to Ivysaur's Razor Leaves. I opened the hatch and jumped down, followed by my Ivysaur. I shivered, having very little idea of what I was doing.

_I'm no spy… I'm no hacker… I'm freakin' secret agent… _but if Matt could do this, so can I.

I swallowed deeply and looked around. I was in some sort of cold storage room… maybe one of those old-fashioned ice chambers. There were boxes of frozen meat and vegetables on the wall around me. Food. If there's food here, then someone must be living here…

The door of the cold-storage room opened from the inside, thankfully. Don't want to think about what would have happened if it hadn't. Brrr. I wasn't exactly dressed for the cold, seeing as it rarely got cold in Kanto. I was wearing a white-and-red t-shirt, leather jacket, and jeans. And no matter how much I wanted to outgrow them, I still wore my usual square(ish) glasses.

Beyond the cold storage room was a hallway that extended into darkness in both directions. Ivysaur sniffed around the floor; his nose was surprisingly good. Finally, he nodded toward the left path as being empty and we went down it at a light run.

We came to hallway's end, and followed it to the right; we were now probably right beneath the old closed down Prize Center. The new one was at a desk inside. 

Doors stood like shadows on the wall, sometimes punctuated by stairwells that only led down. I checked the doors as I went: _Conference Room A, Conference Room C, Digital Center_… that held promise.

I opened the room to the Digital Center, and found row after row of computers, video phones, even some old-fashioned speaking tubes against the far wall. There were no other people, or Pokemon that I could see. I sat down at the nearest computer and flicked it on. 

Search Files.

Enter Keyword(s): John Rook

Search all files for Keyword(s) John Rook.

Searching… Searching…

3 File(s) Found.

Hmm… the first was a record of meeting minutes kept by a secretary at a meeting. John Rook was mentioned as a speaker several times… but he didn't seem to say anything important. Funds, bonds, gaining money… someone else would have been interest, sure. Not me. 

_Ever since Matt's death… my mind has infected with one thought and one thought alone: revenge. It might not have been quite what Matt wanted, but I have to do this. He took my brother's life, and… I fully plan on taking his. _

The second file held more promise: it was a list of officers and ranks… John Rook was listed as Head Admin of the Storm's Eye. I ignored all other names as I saw his. This was what I had looked for…

"Hey you!" someone called hoarsely form behind. "What the hell do you think you're doing down here?"

_Shit._

I whirled to see a short man (shorter than me, at least) wearing the red, black, and yellow of the Stormies. He had on tinted glasses and some sort of idiotic cap. Then I noticed the pokeball in his hand.

I whistled, and Ivysaur leapt up onto the nearest table, slewing the computers there onto the floor. There was a long table covered in CPUs between me and the Stormy, as well as computers lining both walls. Not my first choice for a battlefield, but…

He summoned a Pigeotto and barked at it to get moving. The bird pokemon fluttered up, rushing at my Ivysaur with a Peck attack. Ivysaur dodged to the side and bounced off the wall, then tackled Pigeotto to the ground. He head-butted the bird back, and it struggled to its feet.

"Wine Whip!" I yelled, happy to be battling again. The vines lunged out from under Ivysaur's flower and wrapped around the bird's chest, crushing the wind out of it and pinning it to the wall. "Razor Leaf."

Pigeotto sagged to the floor, bleeding from a few small cuts. The grunt looked shocked; his prize pokemon was lying in a heap on the dirty linoleum ground.

"Ivysaur," I said quietly, nodding at the grunt. "One more Vine Whip."



I left the building knowing a little more. With the grunt hanging from the ceiling, bound and gagged by vines, I checked the computer once more, printing out a list of Storm's Eye base locations. I had gotten a similar list from the grunts I'd sought out in Pewter city, KOing them with just my Bulbasuar, but that was a few weeks ago, and there were a few Storm safe-houses that had been added to the roster.

I left the base, phoning the police on their own phone just before doing so. An anonymous tip… even if the Stormies did get out of jail and look for the culprit, they'd probably assume it was one of their own. Only that one grunt I had fought… he would know the truth. Who knows, maybe he would take the blame to save himself the humiliation of being beaten by a kid... 

The Matt I had seen that last night he lived… he would have killed the operative to keep things open, but I wasn't like that. I don't think the normal Matt was either.


	3. Chapter 2: An Unexpected Reunion

Chapter 3: An Unexpected Reunion

**Chapter 2: An Unexpected Reunion**

I unlocked the hotel room door as quietly as I could. Richard was asleep on the bed, leaving me with the fold-out couch. I sighed, returned Ivysaur to his pokeball and set it with my others on the coffee table and climbed into my bed. _Are you happy, Matt? Is this what I was supposed to do?_

_No, it can't be. He didn't want revenge he wanted me to protect someone. Cassidy? Who was that? _Thinking about it only made me more tired. I closed my eyes and my mind dropped off cliff into dark sleep.



I woke to the sound of the door opening: Richard coming back with breakfast. 

"Wakey-wakey, dude!" crowed Richard, hitting me in the chest with a bagged burrito. "Man, you should have stuck with me at that bar…"

"Richard, I left you at an arcade," I said groggily, hauling myself up. "Plus, you're fourteen. There's no way you'd get into bar."

"Ok, so it was _in front_ of a bar," he admitted. "They threw me out. But anyways, there were these two really hot girls. I'm talking like…"

"Shush. Eating." Something about people talking while I ate threw me off. I wound up loosing my appetite and dropping food on my shirt. When we were finished and I had nodded through his story of "last night", I finally asked. "So, any plans for today?"

"Nope. Got my badge yesterday, so…"

"Wait, what?" This was news to me. I'd been asking around for information about the Stormies' base. Told Richard I got lost.

"Did I forget to tell you? Well…" he reached into his pocket and drew out a tin badge case, which he flipped open. There was a new addition there, six colored hexagons arranged around a black one like flower petals… a Rainbow Badge. Damn him. "Boo. Yah." He said, stretching each syllable like a gummy worm. 

"I just got plans for today," I said with a chuckle.

"Damn right, you do!" Richard said, joining in. We laughed for a while, but I knew that that wouldn't last; I could see question in Richard's eyes. "So," he said at last, "What have _you _been doing the last few days? Don't say 'nothing', Ian, I can tell when you're not feeling good. Friends for life, remember? Seriously dude, what is going on?"

I sighed. I knew I couldn't and shouldn't be lying to him… 

"You remember… the night Matt died?" Richard nodded sadly. "Well, just before he passed on, he told me about the masked man who did that to him. His name is John Rook… and I'm going to hunt him. all I know about him is that he's with the Storm's Eye…"

"Thought so," said Richard, much to my surprise. "Look here." He flashed a newspaper at me, the headline reading "Anonymous Tip Leads Authorities to Dangerous Gang Arrest". Well, so much for subtly avenging my brother…

"Listen man," he continued. "I can help you with this. Remember those goons we fought at Mt Moon? You need my help, man, and I want to give you that help. Let me in, I mean… I can help you."

"Yeah, but… you know, let's just forget it for now." I skillfully changed the subject. "I don't want you getting too far ahead of me with those badges. Let's head to the gym."

He smiled, but there was no heart in it. "Yeah," said Richard. "Let's."



The Celadon Gym was a little too… flowery for me. Don't get me wrong, I like grass types. Bulbasaur was my starter, remember? But this all seemed too… cultivated. Commercialized. Pretty, self-centered schoolgirls were strutting about everywhere, and the whole place smelled like something I couldn't quite put my finger on…

_Ugh_… 

Richard and I walked through the massive greenhouse at the entry and into the gym at the back. Erika kept the place overgrown but neat. I was reminded of how my dad used to be able to pack all the clothes I'd need for a month into a single suitcase for trips by rearranging them all… it was like watching someone play Tetris. Come to think of it, he was probably great at Tetris. So was Erika, from the look of her gym.

The ten-by-thirty meter field was divided down the middle with a line which also defined the two halves of a Pokeball Icon. Creepers and fig vines clung to wall like fat snakes, leaves and chutes sprouting from all over them. Purple and red flowers dotted some areas and dominated others, and a drove of tropical trees grew from a ledge close to the high glass ceiling. 

We walked out onto a ledge about half way up the southern wall of the gym; a stairway led down to the actual gym floor… which was currently occupied. I saw Erika –a pale, dark haired woman in her late twenties; she was wearing her trademark kimono- commanding two pokemon on the field, facing off against another two. A double battle. That was interesting, considering all Kanto gyms held single battles. Maybe her opponent had talked her into it…

It was then that I realized I recognized her opponent: the copper-haired girl I had seen by the airship window. Three months ago. Over Johto. The night Matt died… 

She was wearing the same (or a similar) purple skirt, white shirt, and a black jacket that only covered the top half of her torso; that wasn't very functional, but it _was_ pleasing to the male eye… and I guess for most girls, clothing doesn't really have to be functional. She had two pokemon out, a Pikachu and Nidorina, battling Erica's Gloom and Victreebell. Despite seeing a girl I had put out of my mind (and taken for dead…), the battle looked pretty intense. I watched, deciding to tell Richard about the girl later. 

"Pikachu!" the girl called; her voice fit her appearance perfectly. "Give 'em another Thundershock!"

Her pokemon complied, puffing up its little red cheeks and sending a few thousand volts through Gloom, who didn't seem to be much affected. Nidorina whipped around and Double Kicked Victreebell and sent it sprawling into its ally. It was becoming apparent why Erika didn't usually hold double battles.

The Gym Leader looked between her two pokemon in panic; she waved Gloom up, and it rose, face still bearing a sleepy grin. Victreebell looked seriously pissed and bore its odd fangs at its foes. Its vine lashed around, extended, and caught Nidorian under the nose. The hit pokemon fell, Pikachu immediately at its side urging it back up. 

"Poison Powder," said Erika, her confidence returning. Gloom and Victreebell each launched a cloud of purple spores that filled the air around Pikachu and the felled Nidorina. The two pokemon rushed out of the purple haze, but both were already poisoned. The girl was running out of time… 

Nidorina Head Butted Gloom into the air, where Pikachu zapped it with another Thundershock, and both preceded to lash at Victreebell with feet and tails. The grass pokemon dodged back with speed that didn't seem to match its flowery bulk. Victreebell Bit Pikachu, trapping it in its gullet. Nidorina launched a volley of poisonous needles into the grass pokemon, causing it to buckle and release its electric prey. Pikachu finally lashed around with an Iron Tail that cut a gooey gash in its foes stomach. Victreebell howled, but its cry was cut short as Nidorina Head Butted it one final time. The battle was over, leaving Erika's pokemon in need of intensive care. 

An official I hadn't noticed stepped into the middle of the field, and the copper-haired girl recalled her two pokemon. "The Victor," the official announced, "is the challenger, Cassidy Ryne."



"Ok", said Richard, sounding like a baseball coach in a tight situation. "You're pokemon aren't the best matches for fighting a grass type opponent…"

"What?" I denied. "My guy's will do fine."

"Ian, you have a grass type, a water type, and a ground type. The odds highly stacked against you. I cleaned up with Fearow and Charmeleon, but you'll have more trouble for sure."

"They've never let me down before," I said, crossing my arms.

"You've never been at this bad of a disadvantage before… so far as I know," he ended with a glare. I shrugged. "Anyways, I've got a prize for you. The best kind of prize: a _sur_prise."

He shoved a pokeball into my hands, but I stopped listening. Cassidy had climbed up the steps to me and Matt's platform. As she walked by, I wanted to say something, ask her if she was one Matt wanted me to protect, if she remembered me… anything, but Erika was calling for her next challenger and I could already see a few people trying to gain my spot as the next one. 

Richard had been explaining something to me about the pokeball he had just handed me, but I wasn't listening. "Got to go. Stall that girl." I turned him roughly so he was looking at Cassidy. He gave me a "Why?" look, but I just glared. I think he got the message and followed down the hall she was traversing.

I turned my attention back to the gym. Erika was waiting. I vaulted over the safety rain and landed in a crouch on the fields edge. Erika raised her eyebrows at me. 

"Next?"

"Yeah, that's me."


	4. Chapter 3: Richard's Surprise

Chapter 3: Richard's Surprise

**Chapter 3: Richard's Surprise**

Erika had prepared three of her pokeballs; she was ready, and I was hoping I was. There was a ring of truth about what Richard had said. I only had three pokemon: Ivysaur, Staryu, and a newly caught Dugtrio. None of them stood much of a chance against Erika's grass-type team, but maybe Richard's surprise pokeball held something that could help me out. Speaking of Richard, I hoped he was stalling Cassidy… my mind wouldn't be at rest again until I had talked to her.

"Well?" said Erika impatiently. Her Vileplume was already out and eyeing me from beneath its shady flower. "Are you here to battle or contemplate battling?"

I smirked, telling her why I was there. "Let's go!" I expanded my first pokeball and tossed it into the ring. It released Staryu and bounced back to my hand.

Now it was Erika who smirked. "A Staryu against my grass pokemon? Not the best choice, I'd say. You sure you want to continue?"

By way of answer, I pointed at her Vileplume, and Staryu let loose a burst of star-shaped projectiles from its gem. Vileplume lowered its head and let its flower take the Swift attack. Erika was smiling more broadly now; back in her element. 

"Sludge Bomb!" she shouted; her pokemon complied, launching a glob of purple slime strait at Staryu. My pokemon leapt up, spinning over the Sludge Bomb's filthy explosion. It launched another Swift attack which Vileplume took again. "Not Bad," commented Erika, "But you wont last long. Petal Dance!"

Vileplume spun like a top, crescents of pink energy flaking off its massive petals; soon, a pink cyclone had gathered over its head. Vileplume released the attack, and it spun toward Staryu, bouncing off the ground erratically like a spinning tennis ball. Staryu stepped back on its spindly legs, but couldn't get far. It leapt to escape the storm of petals, but was dragged in and spun helplessly in the vortex, petal fragments pummeling it. Staryu let out a strangled cry and its gem glowed with fear. 

"Sludge Bomb!" This time, Staryu couldn't doge the blast. It was flung out of the Petal Dance by the blast, and fell to the ground. Its gem was scraped, showing me that there wasn't much fight left in it. 

"Staryu?" I called. "Can you get up?" The pokemon struggled to its feet… well, to the ends of its legs; starfish don't really have feet. Its top point bent slightly, like a nod, telling me it could go on a little longer. "Alright, Bubble Beam!"

A fast moving jet of bubbles streaked across the field. Vileplume sidestepped easily, still in the peak of health. Without ordering an end to the attack, I shouted, "Now Rapid Spin!"

Staryu leapt forth, spinning wildly. A mist of bubbles still hung around its circumference. I think Vileplume must've been surprised by the sudden change of attack, because it didn't even start to dodge… Staryu hit it spinning at full speed, and Vileplume was tossed into the air. 

"Now, back to Bubble Beam!" 

Staryu quit spinning and launched another beam of bubbles straight up. Vileplume squealed softly as it was stung by the fast moving attack and knocked from the air. I smiled, but didn't dare look at Erika to see what she was thinking. I had to finish it; "Swift!"

Another volley of stars chased down Vileplume and knocked it further across the field.

"Give up yet?" I called across the arena. 

"I am afraid not. Vileplume, let's finish this: use your Magical Leaf!" Flashing, multicolored leaves rose from the tube at the center of Vileplume's flower and showered down Staryu at close range. 

Staryu was too weak to resist; that Bubble Beam had taken the last of its strength, and the shower of leaves hit it full on. Its gem was cracked and its legs bent back. Staryu fell to the ground, fainted. 

I quickly looked between my remaining pokemon. There was Dugtrio, who knew some powerful non-ground attacks, but he wouldn't last long against Vileplume. Ivysaur would have been my first choice, but then there was Richard's surprise. 

"Richard!" I shouted up to him. "I think you should tell me about the surprise now!"

"Already did," he called back; he sounded like he had food in his mouth. "Should've been listening! Oh, and the girl left. Had a train to catch." I ran through a list of swears in my head, but none seemed to fit how I was feeling. "If you're wondering about using the surprise though, I would." He added.

I nodded. Nothing else to do.

I enlarged the pokeball he gave me and summoned… whatever was in it. There was a burst of red light and Eevee appeared in the field.

"I won this last night betting on a game of palinko," said Richard by way of explanation. "Thought you could use it."

There were several things I wanted to ask him, chief among them "how do you bet on _palinko_?" but I decided to hold my questions for later. I had an Eevee to fight with and no idea what techniques it knew. 

"Eevee?" I asked. It nodded cutely, apparently very trusting. I hoped so. "How about a Quick Attack?"

I struck lucky, and Eevee vanished in a blur of brown and cream. Vileplume looked from side to side and found nothing, but was quickly struck from behind be a fast moving fur ball. Vileplume stumbled stupidly onto its face, and Eevee was on it, scratching and lashing with its tail. There was a burst of multi-colored leaves and Eevee was thrown back. It landed like a cat and skipped out of its foes immediate range. 

"And I thought your Staryu was mismatched," said Erika. " Have you ever even fought with this pokemon before?"

"Don't need to," I said. I hoped I was right. "I think this Eevee wants to win as much as I do. We both love a good fight."

"Ah," said Erika, smiling like an indulgent older sibling. "We'll see about that."

"Quick Attack!" I ordered again, and thankfully Eevee obeyed, slamming into Vileplume and bringing it to its knees. Eevee barked with delight, ready to launch another attack.

"Try Bite!" suggested Richard.

"Go ahead with Bite!" I said. Eevee rushed forward and chomped the edge of Vileplume's flower. Gooey sap sprayed out and the grass pokemon yelped in pain. Finally, Vileplume collapsed. Erika returned it quickly.

"Unfortunately," said Erika, "I am still weakened from my last battle and only have one more healthy pokemon at my disposal. Our battle will have to end with our next fight."

"Fair enough," I answered, hoping Eevee would keep up its obedience until the battles end. Erika summoned her Tangela, and the last battle began. 

"Wrap!" said Erika, and Tangela let loose and mass of writhing blue vines that constricted Eevee's legs and forced her down. Eevee cried out again as Tangela approached. "Giga Drain!"

Beads of green energy were pulled from Eevee's chest and into Tangela's by some invisible force. Eevee continued to struggle, but couldn't get loose. Erika motioned to her pokemon and Tangela continued its attack with a Pound to Eevee's head. This blow pushed my pokemon back and out of the tangle of vines. She flipped back and landed glaring at her opponent. 

"Quick Attack!" Eevee charged again and again, striking Tangela further and further back. It looked as though I had victory there, but Tengela Vine Whipped Eevee to side during her final attack. More vines groped for Eevee, but she was able to move quickly out of range. 

I now knew two of Eevee's move, but didn't have time to guess at the others. "Eevee," I shouted. "Keep up the attacks. We're almost done."

Then, to my surprise, Eevee ignored me and stepped back from its foe. Erika laughed mockingly and urged her Tangela forward. Vines rose, Surging toward Eevee… who had suddenly curled up. The vines now surrounded her… and a glow emerged from Eevee's brown fur. I was as surprised as Erika when Eevee leapt up the glow expanding into a glow around it. A card-shaped apparition of light appeared in front of it and flipped into Tangela's head. It was definitely a strange attack, but seemed to get the job done. Tangela was thrown backward into its trainer and the two fell to the floor.

Eevee barked happily and leapt up to lick at my face; she was obviously expecting praise, so I rewarded her with a long ruffling to her ears. I think I still had a shocked look on my face as I claimed my badge from Erika and walked back up to Richard; he expected as much praise as Eevee, and deserved it.

"Richard?" I asked calmly, setting Eevee on the ground. "Where the hell did you get an Eevee that knows Trump Card?"

"Won it in a game of palinko," he said simply, but his smile belayed more. 

"And you knew it knew an attack like that?"

"Maybe. I certainly didn't know much. And I definitely didn't _tell you it knew that attack_ when you were daydreaming!" 

"Oh, well then…" it was then that I realized that Cassidy had left the gym. I vaguely remembered Richard telling me she had a train to catch… the train station. I picked up Eevee, shoved her into Richard's arms, said, "Thanks for sharing!" and ran off after the mysterious girl I had seen on the airship.


	5. Chapter 4: Denial

Chapter 4: Denial

**Chapter 4: Denial**

After getting directions to the Celadon City Train Station, I darted through the streets as fast as I could, hoping that Cassidy was taking a leisurely walk to her train. She must have been pretty rich if she had money to take the train to a town somewhere in Kanto. Richard and I had to make do with our bikes.

I wished I was riding my bike then, but there was no time to go back to the hotel and get it. I made it to the Train Station about 10 minutes after my gym match; it was only a few blocks away, luckily.

I hopped the rotating gates and entered the station, wheeling wildly around in search of… I caught a glimpse of Cassidy's purple skirt and ran towards it… only to find it was an elderly, dark skinned woman wearing a sari of that color. But there she was, standing next to a full bench, sometimes glancing down the train line to see if her ride was coming. The screens above told me she was standing in the terminal of a train bound for Fuchsia City with a stop in Saffron along the way. 

I looked back to see that Cassidy was walking toward the end of the platform; she had spotted the train, but I still had a few minutes until it reached the station. I gathered up my will and ran toward Cassidy.



Two men eyed a collection of screens that showed various views of around Celadon City. The Storm's Eye prided itself in its many eyes and all they could see. They were also proud of their ferocity, persistence, and brutality, as well as their purpose…

On man –on the right- was short, wearing the uniform of Stormy grunt as well as sunglasses broken in one lens. Though none could see it, he was badly bruised about his ribs where he had hung from ceiling in a lasso of vines. Equally unseen and equally damaged was his pride; an operative of the greatest criminal gang of all time, beaten by a mere child…

It was too bad for said mere child that the grunt had recognized his face. If the grunt was right (and he prayed for his sake he was), the boy he had confronted was none other than his team's oldest foe: Matt Cartright.

The second man –on the left- was odder. The harsh grey light of the screens before him reflected glaringly off most of his face, which was covered in metal. John Rook sighed and wiped a strand of long black hair away from his good eye.

"You are sure it was him?" he asked yet again.

Rook's oily, accented voice scared the grunt, but this was his big chance. If he had hunted down _the_ Matt Cartright, long thought dead but suspected otherwise, the reward would be… limitless.

"Quite sure, sir," replied the grunt, licking his lips like an eager little dog.

"Because I too am 'quite sure'," continued John Rook, "That I fire a Hyper Beam directly through Matt Cartright's chest."

The grunt gulped, suddenly terrified. _He thinks I'm lying…_ but the grunt knew what he had seen. Suddenly, he saw just that on the screen before him.

An image flashed up from the Storm's Eye probe positioned in the Train Station. The grunt's eyes widened and he hit the button to end the cycle of images. He jabbed his finger at the screen and yelped, "There sir! See? It's him, I know it."

The boy certainly _looked_ like Matthew. His hair was short, curly at the front so it stuck up a little. Glasses concealed the boy's eyes, but Rook recognized him at once. "My friend," he hissed to the grunt, "You have not, I'm afraid, located Matthew Cartright. You have, however located his younger brother."

John Rook smiled behind his metal false-face. "Very interesting."

He was remarking, not only to the resurgence of his old foe's younger brother, but to whom he was talking to. The boy seemed to be talking to a girl who didn't want to be talked to. At one point in the footage, the girl turned to step away from Matt's brother, and John Rook caught sight of her face. Now it was his turn to widen his eyes.

_But that girl… there is no way she could have escaped from that airship. She… he had insured her death. Cassidy Ryne was dead, and there was no way…_

Rook was good with faces though, and he knew it was true. Things just got _far_ more interesting.

"_Something wrong, Mr. Rook?_" said a heavily-altered voice from behind him. Both Rook and the Grunt whirled in surprise to see a screen on the far –among a bank of others showing images of landscapes and cityscapes- had changed its image. The screen now showed a face, the upper half of which was purposely blurred. 

"My lord," said Rook, bowing so slightly that the grunt blinked and missed it. "I was not aware you were watching us."

"_Of course you weren't, Rook_," said the man on the screen. He sounded like he was scolding a small child. "_Now, I couldn't help but overhear; you did say that that is Mr. Cartright's brother? And is that… why that couldn't possibly be the little girl you swore to me was dead? But that would be impossible…"_

"My lord, you don't understand…"

"_I liked you story better when it was impossible that she lived. _Make _it impossible, Mr. Rook. I know you won't disappoint me again_." The face's blurry eyes turned to the grunt, or so it seemed. "_As for you, if you speak of anything you have seen or heard here today, you will wake up the next morning in the stomach of Mr. Rook's Salamance. Do you know what the stomach acid of a dragon feels like? I trust you don't want to find out…_"

The grunt nodded, eyes wide with terror behind his broken sunglasses. He scurried out of the room like a frightened rat, leaving only Rook and the screen eyeing each other. One blurry eye vanished, then reappeared in a computerized wink, and Rook returned the gesture and left the room, trench coat swirling behind him.



"Excuse me?" 

I know it sounded lame, but I couldn't think of anything that sounded better. This was important, and I'd be back in square one if Cassidy ran away. She looked up at me, stormy eyes scanning for I-don't-know-what. Her eyes were beautiful. Someone could get lost in those eyes…

"Yeah?" she answered carefully.

"Sorry, my name's Ian Cartright. I saw you back at the gym, and…"

"If you're looking for tips, help, or money, then you've got the wrong girl." She turned and started walking further down the platform, no doubt willing the train to come to her faster. I followed her, and acting on impulse, grabbed her shoulder and spun her around. Cassidy's rucksack spun, and she looked outraged that I had even gotten near her.

"Look," I said. "Your name is Cassidy, right? And you were on an airship over the Whirl Islands that was shot down, am I right? Does the name, Matt Cartright mean anything to you?"

"What are you talking about?" she asked, pushing me away. "Yeah, I was on an airship, and you got my name right. In fact, I think I saw you on that airship to, which is odd, because I was told that there were no other survivors. I survived. How did you?"

"My brother Matt died getting me out of there," I said, starting glare. And shout. "With his dying breath, he told me to find and protect a girl named Cassidy who was on that airship. He had a feeling you were still alive, and I've been running off that feeling for the last three months. He said… he said a masked man named John Rook was hunting for you, and I had to keep him from you at all costs."

"A masked man? I think you've been watching a bit too much TV. You've the wrong girl, ok? Just… sorry about your brother, but you've got the wrong girl." I guess she could see the dejected look on my face, because she put a warm hand on my shoulder and added, "Hey, maybe there was another Casey on that airship who died, so you don't have to worry about her. No sweat, right? Why don't you go get on with life? You'll have to move on sooner or later."

Her train arrived, and Cassidy quickly backed into the door. But something held her there; she stood on the threshold of the train, staring at me. Finally, she added, "I wish we'd met under better circumstances. If those are pokeball I see on your belt, then maybe we'll meet again." She smiled a little sadly. "Ok?"

I nodded, trying not to look too disappointed. She took a window seat inside and waved to me one last time as the train pulled away. I waved dejectedly back.

As soon as she was gone, I punched the nearest concrete pillar, bruising my knuckles. _God damn it, I know that's who Matt was talking about!_

And then something else occurred to me. There at the end… she'd said "another Casey" not "another Cassidy". I never said _anything_ about _anyone_ named Casey, did I? No, I definitely didn't…

What if she went by Casey instead of Cassidy? What if that was what she was hiding and she was lying about not knowing Matt? What if I was right? That would mean… I ran to the other end of the platform, waving vigorously with the knowledge that she was the one I was looking for.

It was then that the Station Security tracked me down for sneaking in and carried me out. Being dropped on the sidewalk in front of hundreds of people hurt several things, dignity included, but my spirits weren't dampened. 

I ran back to the gym to meet Rich and tell him what I had learned.


	6. Chapter 5: The Road to Ruin

Chapter 5: The Road to Ruin

**Chapter 5: The Road to Ruin**

By the time I got back to Erika's Gym, Richard had gone on without me, heading back to the hotel. A half hour of running and an hour of talking later, and Richard had convinced me to let him help. I explained everything, even Matt's last living minutes which I had never told anyone about before (other than Cassidy, but… I'm still not sure if she really believed me). Finally, I told him about the girl Cassidy, where she was headed, what I thought I had learned, and that I thought I should follow her.

Then Richard had things to tell me. First, he said the Eevee was mine to keep; he had given it to me as a sort of bride in hopes that I'd tell him about my secret mission. Now that he knew, though, he said I might as well keep the Eevee; I smiled and took it; it had been a good little battler. Next, he told me that if we wanted to make it to Fuchsia City in time to meet Cassidy that we needed to lease as soon we'd had some lunch.

Luckily, the bike road had an entrance nearby, so we would be able to make it to Fuchsia in about a day and a half. The bike road let out near Fuchsia. 

Richard thought we should leave at once and get the half-day out of the way so we'd only have to spend one night on the road. We did, taking our lunch with us.

(-o-)

A Spearow that was not entirely itself hobbled out of the open-air Train Station and took flight, soaring a few feet above and behind the boy its master had marked. It followed Ian into the street and in a huge L-shaped pattern over Celadon City; the camera attached to the side of its traced the boy's every move. At the edge of town, the boy mounted a bicycle and began moving down the massive pillared bridge that led south. 

The camera's controller released his control on the metal spores Spearow's brain, and the bird pokemon flew off in a confused stupor. The controller scanned the area for other pokemon that served as the Storm's many Eyes. Finally, he selected a Golduck that resided in the bay nearby and sent it to the waters near the bridge. 

He followed the boy and his companion through Golduck's camera long into the night; by the time the sun fell, he had already dispatched a group of operatives to their location. 

Mr. Rook would be pleased.

(-o-)

It was good to be on the road again. I've always liked travel, just not the motion-sickness-invoking motion it required, but that had changed in the last few months. I discovered it was hard to get motion-sick on a bike. 

Richard was a few meters ahead of me, enjoying more of the speed than the view. The ocean shined and sparkled in the summer sun below us. It was a little hot, but that was nothing a cool sea breeze didn't make me completely ignore. I smiled to myself. For the first time since Matt died, things were making a little more since. I was close to some answers…

Riding downhill in the wind was nice, and made for a pretty calming afternoon. Apparently, there used to be a big problem with bike gangs along this road, but that day it was deserted. The sun set before we were all the way down the hill; we went on until about midnight under the peace of the stars. At the base of the bike path, Richard stopped with a concerned look on his face.

"What's up?" I called as I rode up, sliding to a stop next to him. 

"Dunno," he replied. He was looking straight up. "I saw something fly overhead. Something _big_."

"Cool," I said, not sure what he was talking about. "Do you think it one of the legendary birds?"

"No. It made noise. Like it had an engine."

"Hmm. Must've been a zeppelin then."

Richard obviously wasn't convinced, but I managed to get him off the bike road and out the lower gate. We were now on a forest path that led to Fuchsia City. It was late, though, and we were both dog-tired so we decided to sleep in the forest. We made out way off the path and I took a pair of Frisbee-sized disks from my backpack and cast them to the ground. There was a hiss and crackle as the disks expanded like popcorn pans until they were each a small dome.

Instant tents. I unzipped one and climbed inside, taking my sleeping bag with me. We'd only had to sleep in the instant tents when we couldn't afford or find a hotel in town; I think that was the first time we used them out in the wild. Outside, I heard Richard piss in the woods and return to his tent, muttering a groggy goodnight. 

I returned the call and curled up on top of my sleeping bag. Normally, I would have read (I always carried one book with me, which I would sell to the nearest used-books store and replace with an unread one), but I was too tired, so instead I lay and listened to the sounds of the forest.

Cue sounds of the forest.

Wait… there were no sounds of the forest. Outside of the tent, there was only dead silence… and then… an engine…

(-o-)

The camera controller let the Golduck loose at nightfall. The pokemon had no night vision. Instead, he claimed a Raticate that had been watching the alleys in Fuchsia and maneuvered it to the gate of the bike path… just in time to catch the two boys walking into the forest. They set up some kind of strange tents and vanished into them. There was silence, magnified by fact that wild pokemon cease their noisemaking whenever a pokemon controlled by the Storm's nano-bots was in the area. 

The controller waited. Ten minutes… twenty… thirty. At long last, he flipped up a glass case that concealed a button and pressed it. 

(-o-)

Miles away, in the forest, the Raticate had been ordered to climb a tree to expand the scope of its vision. At the top of the tree, the tube-shaped camera on the side of his face made a final zoom on the prey. There was a click deep within the camera…

A claxon began sounding from the little device, filling the whole forest with horrible noise. A red light at the top of camera blinked with gusto. In seconds, the aerolight gliding overhead was alerted to the prey's exact location.

The craft descended quickly on the waking boys…

(-o-)

I think I had just fallen asleep when that annoying alarm clock… wait a second. No alarm clocks in the forest. That isn't the most brilliant deduction, I know, but I don't think well in the mornings.

I scrambled out of the tent and realized it wasn't morning. Richard was out a second later. There was little time in which I absorbed a red light blinking at the top of a tree…

When something dropped from the sky. It looked like a slightly oversized hand-glider, but I could clearly see two forms in seats beneath it and hear the hum of an engine. I realized it was that engine that Richard had heard back on the bike and I had heard earlier in the night. Two people climbed out from the little craft and sprinted through the trees toward us. I could here the telltale chime of pokeballs being opened, and then the grunts popped out of the forest like jack-in-the-boxes. 

Both had wide grins and the usual red, black, and yellow tunics. They were wearing night vision goggles under their cocky little caps. And two pokemon hovered in front of them, a Magnemite and a Golbat. 

"Oi!" shouted one grunt, pointing his finger at me. "You're that Matt Cartright's brother, am I right?"

The two grunts circled, confident in their knowledge and pokemon. I eyed them as they moved slowly. My pokeballs were back in my tent. Come to think of it… I wasn't wearing a shirt either. 

"So, how long have you been with the Hermes?" asked the second one. He sounded like he was jeering, but I'm not sure how that was an insult… but there was that name again: Hermes. Matt had mentioned himself as being part of that organization. _Carrying the messages of the people…_I hadn't wondered about the name much since the night Matt died; it had seemed unimportant compared to the other things he had said…

"I'm not with the Hermes," I retorted. "I'm seeking personal revenge. We are."

"Oh, so you're the one whose brother got offed by Admin Rook?" continued the second one. Now he really did sound like he was insulting me. It was working. "And now Mr. Rook has sent us to off you."

"You're dead meat!" grunted the other… grunt. "Golbat, Crunch him!"

The bat pokemon fluttered toward me. The sound of its flapping became deafening, and I knew there was no escape. My arms flew over my face out of fear… a scream filled the forest, and it took me a second to realize it wasn't my own. 

I looked up to see Golbat being held back by the slender claws of Richard's Charmeleon. Its other claw was through Golbat's wing, hence the screaming. Charmeleon flipped its claws around and tossed my attacker into a tree. There was a sickening crack, though whether it came from the tree or the pokemon, I wasn't sure.

"You little shit!" screamed the man, running toward his felled Golbat. Spittle flew from his mouth and a vain bulged just below the brim of his hat. He turned and looked back at us; the whole event gave me time to run back to my tent and collect a pokeball. I wasn't sure who was in it in the dark… 

The Golbat grunt returned his pokemon and leapt up, releasing another. It was Haunter, which drifted through the woods toward us. Magnemite sparked wildly and floated alongside it. 

I threw the pokeball I had grabbed to the ground, releasing Eevee in a burst of red light. Richard looked over at me and nodded. His Charmeleon leapt to Eevee's side crouched on its reptilian legs. 

"Ember!" shouted Richard. Charmeleon spit up a stream of fireballs that the two rival pokemon easily dodge. Magnemite tackled it while spewing electricity, and Haunter lunged at my pokemon with black claws. 

Eevee sidestepped and Bit Haunter's finger. The ghost pokemon yelped and phased into the darkness. The grunts scowled at us, meaning harm, but probably helpless without their pokemon. Eevee glanced around for her opponent, only to be smacked from behind. Charmeleon batted Haunter away from her with another Ember attack, and we switched foes: Eevee moved on to Magnemite. 

"Trump Card!" I said, and a blade of light smashed into Magnemite; it seemed to do little damage, to my surprise.

"Trump Card does more damage the later in battle its used," shouted Richard by way of explanation. His Charmeleon knocked Haunter up with a Metal Claw, followed by a fast Ember. It looked like we were winning.

A Thunderbolt struck Eevee, knocking her back into my arms; she was fainted. Magnemite advanced as I ran back my tent to get a new pokemon… pain surged through my whole body, my flesh burning in the electric current. I dropped to the ground, still writhing from the Thunderbolt to the head I'd just taken. Pins and needles sharper than any I'd ever felt tore at my skin as my body rebooted. I'd never taken a blow like that before… my skin was red and irritated and my hair stood more on end than usually.

It was hard to move… hard to breath. My vision faded.

The next thing I knew, Richard was shaking me roughly. "Ian? Ian!" he called desperately. The Haunter and Magnemite were gone, replaced by a Graveler and two angry looking grunts. Charmeleon's Metal Claws chipped at it repeatedly, but the Graveler didn't stir. 

"Ian," Richard was shouting. He wasn't looking at me. "Ian, I think we're in some deep shit. Come one, man, get up."

"I'm up, I'm up," I said, turning over and sitting up. Richard had returned Eevee to its pokeball and brought me a new one. 

"I think that's Ivysaur. Come on, man, I need a hand."

I took the pokeball and opened it. Ivysaur came out growling fiercely. I smiled and said, "Give Charmeleon a rest, Rich. I'll handle this."

He nodded and called his pokemon in. The grunts snickered; convinced they were gaining the upper hand…

"Razor Leaf!" Ivysaur launched a pair of large leaves into Graveler's stomach, chipping off sizable chunks of rock. The grunts stopped snickering. "Vine Whip!"

The vines surrounded Graveler, wrapping it tightly. It tried to flee with a Roleout, but Ivysaur hung on, using his foes momentum to swing him around… soon he was spinning Gravler like a huge centrifuge. Finally, he let the rock pokemon go, and Graveler crashed off through the trees. Now Richard sent his Charmeleon back into the battle, and the grunts were staring down two rather confident looking pokemon. 

"Metal Claw!"

"Bullet Seed!"

Charmeleon backhanded on grunt with a metallic hand, and Ivysaur sent the other one running from hail of pelting seeds. It looked like they were gone…

"Let's get out of here," said Richard, darting for the road. "They fainted my Fearow while you were out cold… if Charmeleon goes too, I'm done for."

"Don't worry man. If we take our bikes…"

"No good," said Richard. He was motioning for me to run too. I went with him, wondering why we didn't just… "Graveler smashed out bikes too. They almost got me, man, I'm glad you woke up."

"Me too," I said, glancing over my shoulder at the left side of the road where we had emerged. Nothing stirred in the forest beyond our path. For a few more seconds, we were safe. 

(-o-)

"_Well_?" asked Rook roughly over the Pokenav in one grunt's hand. "Do you have them?"

There was a brief silence during which Rook repeated his question. Several times. With rising intensity. 

"No sir," the grunt finally admitted. "There was… unexpected resistance. We knocked one boy out, but his friend kept us away from him until he awoke. His pokemon were fresh and awake, and my Graveler…"

"_What in the world makes you think I give a damn about your worthless pokemon_?" said Rook, his voice still eerily calm. "_Tell me –if you can without hurting yourself- where they are now_?"

"They ran towards Fuchsia City, sir. Not far ahead. We can catch up and them to you by tomorrow night."

"_Let's hope so._" Rook hung up, immediately massaging his half-metal forehead with annoyance. He sighed deeply and turned to the four men and women in the room. "I trust you all have better news for me?"

They each nodded vigorously. They were a very odd group, each wearing a different sort of elemental costume. One man wore bright red goggles and a black-and-red baggy jumpsuit with geta sandals. There was a length of metal pipe slung over his back and his hair was shiny and spiked. Another man had hair like an exotic flower, fading in and out of several colors; it was splayed everywhere. The rest of his clothes were ragged and varying shades of green with the exception of a yellow-brown cape he wore, which was shaped like a giant leaf. 

The two women were dressed more similarly: both wore knee length dresses and boots. One was dressed in white, with a purple spiraled cloud pattern embossed delicately on it. Her was icy blue and boyishly short. The other woman was more elegant; her dressed seemed to be made of several layers of flowing silk, all blues and green. Her skin was dark, and her hair a deep turquoise. There was teardrop shaped tattoo beneath the corner of each eye.

"My search in the Seafoam Islands is going very well: my men have located a nest, and we await our prey's return," said the red man.

"My eyes are trained on Silph Co., the Professors' Guild, and all know Hermes operatives," said the green man.

"I have watched stationed on all major power plants," said the white woman with a giggle.

"And Victory Road has been sealed off for 'repairs'," said the blue woman.

"Excellent", said Rook with a sigh. "I am glad I can still rely on you… my most trusted operatives. It seems the children are more trouble than originally thought. Thankfully, I know of the girl's destination and I will hunt her down. I will kill her myself. Our master's temper grows short; we must not fail him again."

A menagerie of people nodded in eager agreement; they were all proud of their roles in the Storm's Eye. Making the world know the power of Nature… the power of Pokemon. To them there was no greater honor. 

(-o-)

We reached Fuchsia City as the sun came up; Richard and I stumbled through the markets which were unfolding like morning glories, and found a cheap hotel near the gym. It didn't cost much, luckily, and we stumbled into our room, locked all the doors and windows carefully, and finally slept…


	7. Chapter 6: The Returning Master

**Chapter 6: The Returning Master**

I blinked my eyes, trying to cast of the last of the sleep that had hung over me like a wet blanket. It hurt to move everything…

…but I guess a few hundred volts of electricity will do that to you.

I looked over at Richard. He was still asleep and snoring loudly, so I go up and took a shower. The skin on my back was red and irritated and my jacket and shirt were worn thin there. Must've been where the Thunderbolt hit. That was a dirty tactic, aiming for me when my pokemon was down, but it seemed like they hadn't shocked to kill. If they had, I probably wouldn't be writing this. So they wanted to capture us…

Things were getting interest. I went the nearest Pokemon Center to heal Richard's and my teams. After that, it was to the market we had passed on our way into town. I bought us some breakfast, keeping a refreshed Ivysaur out with me at all times. I glanced over my shoulder so many times my neck started to hurt, but I never saw any sine of the two goons I'd seen last night.

Luckily, there was no sign of them. By the time I got back, Rich was up and had our first aid kit out. He was tending several gashes on his upper arm and shins that I hadn't seen the night before. Richard tore off the last strand of bandaging with his teeth and wrapped his arm, tying it off neatly.

I handed him the sack of food I had brought in switched on the TV, careful to lock the door once more. Richard nodded in thanks and took his pokeballs back as well.

"Well," he said. And that was it for a while. "Scared me shitless, that did."

"Yeah," I said with a chuckle. "Me too." I tried to think about what else to say. For some reason, whenever I plan on saying something important I loose track of what I'm going to say. "So… if they were able to find us, they might be able to find Cassidy too. Matt said to protect her, so we need to find her. Her train was bound for Fuchsia, and that was yesterday, so she should be here by now. She might have already left."

Richard shook his head while chewing thoughtfully. "With the Safari Zone here, and the gym… it's enough to keep most trainers busy for a day or two. I'd bet my left nut she's still here. Well, maybe not that, but you get the idea."

I smiled and nodded. "So that's where we should check then. You go to the Safari Zone, and I'll go to the gym."

(-o-)

Cassidy smiled to herself and surveyed her new badge. With the Marsh Badge in hand, her collection was more than half complete. But she was getting tired of the train… she decided to take the rest of the day off and walk to Lavender Town the next. She had plans collect her badges in record time, but if she skipped from gym to gym like was doing, her team wouldn't be fit enough for the Pokemon League Challenges.

She found a trendy little café on a rise that overlooked the jungles of the Safari Zone. Maybe she would visit there later and expand her little team…

Two men, dressed oddly, were walking quickly through the square on the other side of the café. They both wore black tunics… that looked suspiciously like Storm's Eye uniforms minus the red and yellow layers and insignias. The tunics stood out enough on their own, but the fact that the two men were obviously and vigorously searching for something made them very conspicuous.

Cassidy had had her dealings with the Storm's Eye before, though it had been a long time. The last she had heard of them was that night the airship exploded. They thought she had died there…

But Cassidy had always been a survivor. She had survived the loss of her parents at a very young age and her beloved grandfather more recently. She had survived a zeppelin crash and she would survive many more things before some tragedy finally claimed her. Cassidy got up, paid for her drink, and followed the two men through the crowd.

(-o-)

Richard decided that the girl was not in the Safari Zone early on. In fact, the exact moment he realized this was the exact moment he laid eyes on a sign reading "ALL YOU CAN CATCH FOR ONLY 25!!" The normal price was 50 for two hours. A half off pokemon-catching spree… Cassidy might not have been there, but Richard had to be.

(-o-)

I checked the gym. No one there but Janine, the daughter of the former leader, a leader now herself. I assured her I'd be back to battle later; she talked to me with the same playful mocking (or maybe mocking playfulness) as Erika had, and every gym leader did. It was something you got used to.

Something useful did come out of my visit though: I described Cassidy to her as an old friend of mine, and Janine told me she had been in the gym a few hours earlier. If that was the vase, then Cassidy must still be in Fuchsia. The only problem was locating her out of the whole city…

I stepped back out into the afternoon sun. Richard and I had slept until noon, so it was already late in the day –three or four o'clock. I blinked heavily to adjust my eyes… someone punched me in the stomach. Hard.

I toppled over, curling as I went, and landed on my side on the ground. My eyes squeezed shut, but when I opened them, there was pale sky above me, streaked with clouds… and two faces I'd hoped not to see again. It was the two grunts we'd met in the forest. They were both wearing triumphant, tooth-missing grins.

"Afternoon," wheezed one of them, the one who had commanded Magnemite. He was shorter and thinner than the other man, who looked like a fleshy boulder. "Bet you weren't thinking you'd see us again. Too bad for you we're persistent devils."

"Uh-hu," grunted the boulder of a man. "You're commin' with us, and you're tellin' us where that little friend and that girlie are so our master can take of them."

"Your master?" I asked, looking around to see if anyone was coming to help. Somehow, the plaza around us had become deserted. No one stirred inside the gym. "You mean John Rook?"

"What do you know about Mister Rook?"

The fleshy one raised a leg to kick me in the head. I rolled quickly, catching his friend of guard and bowling him over. I jumped up and reached for Ivysaur's pokeball, ready for anything.

Graveler and Magnemite leapt forth from the pokeballs. A well aimed rock thrown by Graveler sent my pokeball flying a across the plaza. The stone pokemon rolled into a tight ball and began spinning toward me… Magnemite charged an electrical blast…

There was a clatter, hiss, and an explosion just in front of Graveler. A cloud of colored smoke filled the air, and a figure dropped from the sky, landing by my side. I took in a few things briefly: pleated slacks, flowered shirt, well-trimmed black hair separated from the forehead by a red headband. A glob of violet slime filled the area just before me. As the smoke cleared, I made out the pokemon as a Muk, the massive poisonous pokemon made famous by…

I looked back at the man who was rescuing me. He was dressed like a tourist… except for that odd headband. It made him look like a ninja. Wait a sec, _ninja_. I checked the man's face: he was old-ish rough and unshaven, and scarred in several places. He looked back at me with dark eyes and then I was sure.

I was battling alongside Koga, former leader of this gym and member of the Johto Elite Four.

Koga nodded briskly and turned back to his Muk. Graveler was lodged in the poison pokemon's side, and Magnemite was keeping its distance.

"Battling in public plazas is unlawful," said Koga in an awesome raspy voice. "Battling should only take place in the gym, or in the wild, outside of the city. Also, two men against one young boy is hardly a fair match."

"What are you going to do about it, old man?" jeered one of the grunts.

Koga smiled. "Call me an old man again and slit your sorry throat before you can blink."

The suddenness and sharpness of the gym leader's voice froze the grunt. He looked at us with wide eyes. Then his fear turned to anger and motioned Graveler to fall back. With another gesture, Gravler began rolling quickly in a small circle, building power.

Koga turned to me. "My boy, I may be a gym leader but even I cannot survive in a two against one battle if they've brought backup pokemon. Do you have any backup pokemon that you would trust in battle?"

I nodded and cast about for my dropped pokeball. It was a few feet away, so I ran picked it up. I summoned Ivysaur to the field and retook my place by Koga.

Finally Graveler charged, tearing a deep rut in the tiles of the plaza. Muk embraced it with messy arms; the rock pokemon was almost gone from view. The grunt smiled a secret smile, and shouted, "Graveler, use Rock Blast!"

Graveler fired off chunks of its stony exterior, tearing through Muk's gooey flesh. It didn't seem to do much to Muk, but it tore Graveler an escape rout which it took back into clear air.

Koga didn't give it a chance to get far. "Shadow Punch."

Muk's hand glowed with black aura, and it lashed out elastically, catching Graveler just as it uncoiled from its Roll Out. The blast from the punch knocked Graveler into a building across the street. Now we were attracting attention: crowds were beginning to gather at the edge of the square, many of them noticing that their beloved gym leader had returned.

Ivysaur followed Muk's attack with a Bullet Seed fired up at Magnemite, followed by a strong Headbut. Now people were cheering, like we were engaged in some sort of life-or-death stadium match. Graveler didn't get up from where it had landed, and the grunts were starting to look panicky, glancing between themselves. Before they could summon more pokemon, Koga made a final order to his pokemon.

"Sludge!"

Two jets of acrid slime extended from Muk's hands, enveloping the grunts and pulling them in so they were stuck like fruit in gelatin. Koga nodded at me, and Ivysaur finished off Magnemite with Vine Whip. The two grunts were trapped.

(-o-)

Cassidy heard the noises of the battle; the shouts of several pokemon and the crash of stone hitting a building. The grunts had slipped out of her sight just a minute before, and now as she entered a new square, she was sure it was those two grunts battling… against that boy she'd met at the train station. And an old man in a Hawaiian flowered shirt.

Odd.

She watched Muk swallow up the two grunts, trapping them in slime. Their pokemon were recalled and people all around the plaza were cheering, screaming, clapping. It was then that Cassidy realized who the old man was: it was Koga, the former gym leader. What was he doing back? Cassidy had battle his daughter earlier that day…

An arm encircled her shoulders and pulled Cassidy back out of the crowd. She managed to limit her scream to a yelp and pushed away from… the person who had grabbed her… she saw a low hanging hood, blue-black hair, a face almost completely metallic, one amber eye.

"Lady Casey," murmured John Rook. His eye pierced through the material of her skull, seeming to read her every thought. Cassidy's breath escaped her. She thought her mouth was hanging open but wasn't sure. "It is so good to see you alive… and such a shame that that fact won't last long."

"What are you talking about?" she asked, trying and failing to fake her way out. Cassidy was an accomplished liar, but she had already given away the truth. "My name's not Casey, I'm just…"

"Do not treat me like a fool, Miss," said Rook cocking his head slightly. "And I in turn will not treat you as one. I do not believe you will try and escape because you would never make it. You know that. You aren't stupid."

"You overestimate me," said Cassidy, shoving Rook as hard as she could. He barely stumbled, but it was enough. Cassidy turned and ran into the crowd behind her, using reserves of bravery she didn't know she had; Rook could have killed her on the spot without batting an eyelash, and he would commence to do so soon if she didn't…

She burst out of the front of the crowd, directly into the plaza where the battle had taken place. Cassidy looked up and saw Ian had caught sight of her. She quickly banished the look of fear from her face and cheered in false happiness. Ian looked at her strangely, then smiled, and Cassidy ran up and hugged him like an old friend. She held onto him for a minute, feeling his body tense and un-tense in her arms; while this happened, Cassidy looked over Ian's shoulder to see Koga still standing there, smiling at the young children.

Rook may have been an incredibly powerful trainer, but even he wouldn't take on two children and member of the Elite Four in the crowded place. Probably not even in a secluded place…

Koga invited the two children into the gym, hi muck dragging the two criminals behind them; their fainted pokemon had been stored. Cassidy glanced back at the crowd and briefly glimpsed John Rook's face. His metal mask… and his one eye… it held a look that reminded her sadness. He wanted her to pity him.

Cassidy smiled mockingly; she knew it was dangerous, but she knew that for the time being, Rook could do nothing.


	8. Chapter 7: In the Zone

Chapter 7: In the Zone

**Chapter 7: In the Zone**

After Koga had reentered the gym and had long, teary (on Janine's part) reunion with his daughter, Cassidy and I left to look for Richard; I had now promised Koga as well that I would return the next day for my gym match. Cassidy seemed really reluctant to leave the gym, but once we were out and the crowd had finally dissipated she seemed to be more at ease. We started walking toward Safari Zone, where Richard was supposed to be… if both grunts hadn't attacked me, I would have been worried for his safety, but they had, and Richard could take care of him self in any other situation…

"So, Cassidy…"

"Please," she said, smiling. "Call me Casey."

"Ok, Casey. I take it you were never concerned for the other Caseys on the airship?"

The smile faded from her face like falling water. She now looked very guilty. "Look, I'm sorry. I didn't believe you and I didn't want anyone to talk to me. I was doing something I thought I had to do on my own… but then…"

"Lemme guess," I said, cutting her off. I noticed she was only a little shorter than me. A very little. "You got jumped by some Storm Grunts and they found out you weren't dead."

"Something like that. I never thought the Storm's Eye would become this dangerous. Did you know that they started out as an environmental liberation group? They seemed kind of noble at first, but now their no better than the Rockets."

"Hmm." I had never really thought that much about the Storm's Eye, other than how to take revenge on one of their operatives. But there was something still bothering me. "Why are they after you Casey? My brother told me to keep a man named John Rook away from you at all cost, if you know who either of this people are…"

"Ok, John Rook I know. He… well I've had some trouble with him in the past. But I swear, I never knew your brother. I wasn't lying about that. He obviously knew about me though."

I nodded. Not the answer I was looking for, but I found myself believing Casey. Still, it was obvious she was holding something back. She paused often in speaking, and for some reason expected me not to press for more info. I decided to wait until we had gotten to know each other better to ask more… for now, we needed to look for Richard.

(-o-)

The red man walked brusquely through an ice-cave deep beneath one of the larger Seafoam Islands. A beautiful blue light shone down on him and his troops from all directions, but to him, it was all a muddled grey; the man's red goggles were more than a fashion statement, they were heat-sensitive. He was the greatest pokemon hunter in the Storm's Eye, and perhaps that was why he had been deployed first, out of all of the "Prince Admins".

"Admin Rogan," said his second in command, a very young, very gifted girl from Johto. "Is there any sign of her?"

"No," said Rogan, his voice like steam in a rusty pipe. "I'm detecting no heat signatures. She must still be out."

_And how long will it take for that damned pokemon to return? _Rogan and his men were growing impatient. They paced through the ice tunnels around the nest once more and settled back in their heat-sealed tents for the night. Their prey, the owner of the great ice nest was still not there.

(-o-)

We found Richard just inside the gates of the Safari Zone, unable to leave until he had used up his two hour's time; he had an hour left. After chewing him out for getting sidetracked while I was attacked, I introduced him to Casey. She smiled broadly as she shook his hand through the fence. They were similar soles in that they were both currently guilty about things they'd said or done to me in the last day or so. It was ok though. I wasn't mad at either of them.

Casey and I bought our way into the Safari Zone and started walking around quietly looking for some odd or rare pokemon. Richard walked with us, and though she was in the hands of two perfectly capable guys, she never stopped glancing around the vines, praying whoever had scared her wouldn't come back.

We didn't encounter any grunts in the Zone luckily. And even the pokemon seemed to be hiding away today… Richard had captured a Rhyhorn and Tangela, but there didn't seem to be any other…

Casey tugged at my sleeve and pointed into a bush which had started shaking. I could see a pink mound of… something moving about among the leaves a few feet away. Casey and I both sank to our knees behind a massive root, pulling the oblivious Richard with us.

The thing muttered strangely… it was a high-pitch nasally noise, like someone talking with their mouth full. The thing stood up a little further. It was vaguely human shaped with a round head, squat body, and fat, bushy tail. Its hands only had one mitten-like finger and a thorny thumb. The little round head turned and looked strait at us. It was a Lickitung.

The Lickitung looked at me with beady, curious eyes. It blinked and grinned widely, but there were no teeth in its mouth, just a massive pink tongue that shot out and rubbed over all three of us, slathering everything in saliva. Casey screamed and jumped up, scaring off the curious pokemon. I chucked a Safariball at it as it ran, catching the Lickitung of off guard. It wasn't my first choice of Safari zone pokemon to catch, but I had heard of Lickitung being power and enduring fighters. Any help I could get against the Stormies.

The ball rolled around for bit as Lickitung struggled to get out, but finally stopped and alerted me with that familiar chime. I ran to pick up the pokeball and turned back to my friends.

Richard was laughing hysterically as Casey ran around shrieking, trying to wipe the spit off her body using anything she could find: leaves, vines, Richard's also spit-soaked jacket.

"Damnit this was my favorite skirt!" she moaned as we made our way back to the front gates. Richard's time was up and we all wanted to go home. Casey was staying with us for a while at her request, and she had already reserved first showers for the rest of the trip to Viridian City.

After we had all cleaned our selves, the sun was going down and Richard was mumbling about being hungry. Casey offered to treat us to dinner, the occasion being making new friends and having an _interesting_ day. For some reason, I always remember how she said the word "interesting"… almost intoxicatingly slow and her face flowed into such a pretty laugh afterwards. I didn't know it yet, but I was helplessly smitten

(-o-)

John Rook surveyed the city from atop a communications tower in central Fuchsia. That blasted girl… and that even-more-blasted boy and gym leader. They had evaded him twice now, and Rook was convinced it would not happen a third time. Master was getting impatient. Master must always get what he desires…

HE summoned his trusted Salamance and took off into the night sky to circle over the city. Master always got this way when he didn't get what he wanted… and the wind on the one flesh quarter of his face made master feel so much better…

(-o-)

Casey took us to some fancy stir-fry restaurant a few blocks from the gym; neither I nor Richard was sure how to act or how we _should have_ dressed, but Casey laughed a lot, and even though it was at things Richard did or said, it made things better.

After dinner, we all went out for ice cream, this time on me. Casey had vanilla with strawberries in it, and I'm sure that that says something about her character, but I'm not sure what… wait a second; I was loosing sight of mission.

Becoming infatuated with the girl my brother told me with his dying breath to protect… there was something wrong about that. And I didn't even think she liked me back. I was probably just part wall that was keeping her from danger. _Safety in numbers_, I'd heard her say at one point. So for now, I was just a number.

Back at the hotel, Casey took the bed and Richard volunteer to take the floor, leaving the couch for me. He had seemed much more mannered in the last few hours than he had the rest of our journey, and I realized he was falling for Casey too. I sighed and climbed onto the couch, missing the old Richard, and hoping Casey would still be this nice the next day.

"Ok," she said, walking toward the bathroom. "Before this little adventure goes any further, I'd like to set a few ground rules. No coming near the bathroom when I'm in it. No going through my stuff ever. And no asking me questions about… girl stuff. I have a little brother at home. I get enough of that out of him."

I smiled and nodded. I didn't have any reason not to complete. Richard was grinning devilishly, and punched him in the arm, telling him to stop. He raised an eyebrow to make a face and Casey vanished into the bathroom.

When she came out, she switched off the lights and padded through the dark to her bed.

"G'night," her voice called from the bed. She sounded out of practice, like it had been a long time since she'd had someone to say goodnight to.

"Night," I said.

"Yeah," added Richard. "Night guys."

I closed my eyes in the darkness. No engines from weird little aircraft. No sirens. No mumbling grunts. Ah.


	9. Chapter 8: Tea in the Gym

Chapter 8: Tea at the Gym

**Chapter 8: Tea at the Gym**

It was hard for me to sleep; there was still a lot on my mind, despite finding Casey. But I managed somehow, and the next morning, it seemed like I woke standing in front of the Fuchsia City Gym. Richard must have led me there… or something. Casey was behind us, giggling at something, and the three of us went in.

The gym here was shaped like a dojo, similarly to how Erika's had been based around her greenhouse. We walked into a white-walled entry hall, where a table sat low to the ground in the exact center. To my surprise, Koga and his daughter were sitting at the little table, sipping tea meditatively and smiling.

As we walked in, Koga looked up at us. He said in his raspy voice, "Ah, precisely who I wanted to see. Please, my children, join us?"

He motioned toward the empty seats around the table. I nodded politely and sat between my friends; it wasn't exactly sitting, though, more kneeling on little soft mats. Janine poured us tea. A small part of me where or not to trust it in a _poison_ gym, but Koga had saved my life. I owed the utmost gratitude. And politeness wouldn't hurt either.

The tea was a little bitter, but I hadn't eaten yet that day, and it filled me with warmth. After we had all drank for a few minutes, Koga raised his head and addressed me. He had changed out of his vacation clothes now, and wore violet tunic and his trademark red headband.

"So, my friend, have you any idea who those two men were who attacked you in the plaza? I have them in custody now, and both are a refusing to talk, so I was hoping you could share some light on the situation."

This was worrying. I wanted someone to tell about the Storm's Eye, and Koga would make a powerful ally, but what if he reacted as Casey first had… well, it was worth a shot.

"So far as I know, they're members of a new team called the Storm's Eye."

Janine nodded, her mouth still full of tea. She swallowed quickly and spoke up, "I've heard of them, but I thought they were just air pirates. I minor nuisance…"

"The Storm's Eye," said Casey, surprising the gym leaders, "began as in environmental group, trying to reawaken the world to the power of nature and the mystery of pokemon. But it all went sour. A power-hungry leader came to head of the organization and now he's going around changing the world to his liking in the name of nature."

By the end of her rant, we were all surprised.

"How do you know this, child?"

"I've had some run-ins with them before," Casey explained. "My grandfather… who I used to live with, believed in their original mission, but started opposing them when this new leader came to power; we've been in trouble ever since."

"What happened to him? Your grandfather, that is." Asked Janine.

"He died of a stroke a few months ago."

"I'm so sorry," said Janine, patting the girls arm. She regretting asking…

Koga nodded gravely. "Yes. Terribly sorry." He turned his gaze to me. "And you two, how did you come to be tangled in this web of danger?"

"They killed my brother right in front of me, and I'm trying to track down the man who killed him." Koga raised an eyebrow. "His name is John Rook; three quarters of his face is covered in metal mask. Have you heard of him?"

The gym leader's eyes widened with recognition. "I have heard a bit. And from what I have heard, Rook is the kind of man even I would not like to deal with. If you wish to defeat him, you will need much practice… which brings us back to your reason for coming here. Which one of you shall battle first?"

Richard and I looked at each other. We had an idea we had discussed since Koga's return, an easy way for both of us to win our badges and move on quickly… I nodded, and Richard returned the gesture.

"We challenge you," I said.

"To a double battle," finished Richard. Perfect.

Koga looked puzzled again. "I have not heard of such a thing. Is it simply a battle between four pokemon?"

"Sort of," said Janine, speaking to her father apart from us. "How it would work here is you send out one pokemon and I send out one pokemon. Each of the boys sends out a pokemon and they fight us two-on-two."

"Sounds interesting. Maybe this way I will not have to completely toy with the boys. A bit of a challenge… it has been long since I have been challenged." Koga turned to Richard and I, smiling. "We accept your challenge. A double battle it shall be."


	10. Chapter 9: Father Daughter Business

Chapter 9: Family Business

**Chapter 9: Father-Daughter Business**

Koga and his daughter led us out another door and into a patio that was the center of the four-building gym. There was a wispy cherry-blossom tree in the yard, and a small training room to each side. Opposite the entry room was the battle chamber of the gym. It was famous for its floor, which tilted like a see-saw depending on the weight and position of the pokemon on it. Koga had long ago lost count of the number of trainers that had gotten vertigo on the tilting floor of his gym, or from the confusion it usually caused. It had been the end of many first time trainers' efforts.

It wouldn't be that way for us. I could feel it.

In the gym, we walked across the swinging floor with a lot of squeaking and tilting from the panels. There were three stable points in the gym which were not connected to the rest of the swaying room. They stood on separate foundations, and it was on one of these platforms that Richard and I stood. The gym leaders took another, and Casey a third, cheering softly for us all the while.

I wondered whether she was cheering for me or Richard… then realized it didn't really matter. I was about to battle again. My mind would soon be free again.

I surveyed my pokemon: I was starting to build up quite a team. There was Ivysaur, Staryu, Dugtrio, Eevee, and unpredictable Lickitung. Staryu or Dugtrio would have been my best choice, and Dugtrio hadn't seen any battles in while, so I chose him. Richard nodded, holding up his pokeball. Across the gym, Koga and Janine were ready as well.

There was a shout from the opposite side of the gym as Koga declared the match begun. Richard and I cast out our pokeballs, mine summoning Dugtrio, his Charmeleon.

Janine called out an Arbok, and Koga an Ariados. It was clear Koga wouldn't be fighting with his trusted Muk. It was too strong for almost any foe and certainly not suitable for anyone of our level. The snake pokemon hissed loudly, and the spider clacked its pincers.

Dugtrio moved quickly, following my point, and rose under Arbok, knocking it into the air with a screech. My pokemon rode a mound of dirt like a bird on a cloud, moving around freely and quickly. Charmeleon launched a Flamethrower at Ariados, which leapt away. A zip line of web sprayed from its mandibles, catching the wall behind Charmeleon and yanking it toward it. Ariados collided with its foe, using Bug Bite as it did.

Charmeleon hissed like and angry cat and punched the spider pokemon off. Dugtrio was dodging Arbok's combined Crunches and Sludge Bombs, occasionally sneaking in a Slash attack.

The battle was turning quickly into a stale mate, as Ariados stopped another Flamethrower with Psychic and attacked with Poison Sting; Charmeleon was dangerously poisoned and fell to its knee.

"Use Rock Tomb, Dugtrio!" Several boulders rose into the room through the floor, forming a protective barrier between Charmeleon and his enemy. While Dugtrio was focusing on this, Arbok finally connected with a Crunch attack to Janine's wild cackles.

Casey was cheering and pumping her pale fists into the air from the sidelines. I smiled and countered quickly. "Slash!"

Dugtrio rushed forward carrying Arbok, who was still latched onto his head, with him. Dugtrio hit the wall at full speed, threw the snake off and burrowed into the ground like a skilled diver. Arbok looked around confusedly, and was again slammed from below.

"Finish him with Tri-Attack!" Each one of his separate noses lit up, one red, one blue, one yellow. A line slid around, connecting the noses, which had become a perfect sphere of light and formed a triangle. The triangle launched off at Arbok, who was shot to the side by a Spider-Web from Ariados. I swore, and now Koga and Janine laughed together.

"Wonderful fun!" shouted Koga. "But I expected more of a fight. Do you expect to take down the Storm's Eye with moves as slow as that?"

That did it. I called to my pokemon, who launched another volley of slashes. This father-daughter team would be no match for me. I smiled and urged Dugtrio on.

(-o-)

Casey thought about this. She had had her share of father-daughter teamwork, except that it had been a grandfather-granddaughter team. She hoped her grandfather knew what she was now doing, and she hoped he was happy.

It had been a long time since Casey had thought about her grandfather. She remembered his smiling grey eyes, soft mat of brown hair, soft warm hands. She missed him a lot, or at least she had, but there had been enough on her mind lately to take him away from her. His death had been so sudden… so unexpected… Cassidy had immediately rushed away from Johto where she was just starting her journey, and her inability to return after. There was too much to do. Too much he had wanted her to do.

It was on that fateful airship trip from the Violet City air harbor to Fortree City, and then on to Saffron City where she had first seen Ian. She hadn't known how big a part he would come to play in her life.

Once she made it to Saffron, Casey had traveled to her old home town, Pallet Town. She feared what she would find there, but knowing what it would be… she had rushed into the house where a few distant and harsh relatives sat around in their clean black suits. Cassidy knew her clothes were covered in dirt and she was scratched badly from running there from the bus station in Viridian City, but she didn't care. The stares of angry relatives went unnoticed until later. Casey only cared about one thing.

She pushed her way into her grandfather's bedroom. It was no longer messy, strewn with papers, folders, and sheets from his perpetually unmade bed. All his hundreds of research books had been taken from the shelves and packed into a pair of cardboard boxes next to the window, along with the papers. On the bed was a coffin.

Casey had never been able to make herself look inside.

When she returned downstairs, crying vehemently, Casey discovered why all the distant relatives had looked so angry. In his will, her grandfather had left everything, everything he owned, exclusively to Cassidy Ryne. There was however, another matter of importance to be discussed immediately, and that was who would take charge of Casey's welfare.

Her parents had died, leaving her in the care of her grandfather, and now that he was dead… there were no near or willing relatives, no god-parents. There was however, a clause in the will.

Georgiou Ryne, Casey's grandfather, insisted that his granddaughter be left in the care of the resident member of the Professors' Guild, Professor Beech. Beech had taken the title of leading pokemon expert after the death of the former expert Oak five years ago. Beech had been Oak's closet friend and colleague, as well as his former assistant. Prof. Beech had once been known as Tracey Sketchit, but yielded to the tradition of the Professors' Guild and changed his name to that of a tree upon entry. He had chosen Beech, and this was appropriate seeing as he hailed from the Orange Islands.

Beech was almost anything but an experienced parent, but he had been a good friend and confident of Georgiou, and he reluctantly accepted Casey into his house. She went to the local high school in the morning and afternoon, and after that immediately went to her grandfather's house, which was growing dusty with disuse. Every evening, Casey would spend a few hours going through her grandfather's things, and she learned. There was so much to learn…

(-o-)

Dugtrio lunged up again, this time missing its target. Arbok was getting smarter, and had figured out how to dodge my Dig attacks. My pokemon spun, this time catching his foe off guard knocking him aside. Charmeleon leapt overhead and finished off Arbok with a Metal Claw. Finally…

Ariadow was on Dugtrio's back instantly, wrapping him in a net of Spider Webs. A wave of Poison Stings hit Dugtrio. Now both of us were poisoned. Richard had a pained look on his face as his pokemon stumbled. We were both starting to succumb…

"Faster!" taunted Koga. "Stronger! You are almost there, children. So close. Have you ever been this close to your foe before? Somehow I doubt it."

I looked at Richard and muttered a request. "Grab Ariados."

"Get him, Charmeleon!" Richard shouted. His lizard pokemon nodded and pushed itself up. With a screech, it launched towards the spider, catching it with a rapid Ember attack and then grabbing on…

"Tri Attack!" Dugtrio complied, sending out another blazing triangle, this time directly into Ariados. The spider struggled, trying to counter, the triple-energy attack knocked it senseless. The mix of sensations obviously hurt Ariados. It screamed and lashed out, sending Charmeleon sprawling but it was too late.

Ariados fell to its back, legs pedaling helplessly at the air. It was over. I sighed and returned Dugtrio. Richard did the same.

"That's more like it," said Koga. "Much better. Though I must say, the two of you need a lot of practice if you ever want to face the likes of John Rook."

Janine punched her father playfully and looked over at us. "Shut up, dad. They did fine!"

Koga nodded with a reluctant smile. "It was a good match. I shall have to try more of these double battles in the future." He turned to us, suddenly becoming serious. "And though I bestow this badge on you today, every trainer still needs practice. If you find need for an expert in giving practice, please feel free to come to my gym any time. I will help in whatever task you need."

We nodded gratefully and received our badges from the father-daughter team and left the gym smiling. Casey walked a few steps behind us, eventually catching up. She congratulated us, but then seemed to become lost in her own thoughts. We almost had to guide her back to the hotel. There was still a good bit left of the day, and Richard was eager to be moving again, so after lunch, we began moving on to Lavender Town.

I thought about what Koga had said, wondering what he meant by practice. He seemed to be implying something when he said it, like he could help me in ways others couldn't… whatever it was, I felt sure I would be back in Fuchsia City soon enough.

(-o-)

There, among all those files, what had she found? Casey counted off the things.

Her grandfather had always believed in the power nature, and pokemon, especially when combined and protect by humans. He was an adamant pokemon enthusiast, and kept his ancient and treasured Blastoise had served him faithfully since he had been a young boy. Ever since his death, the turtle pokemon had gone into its shell, probably to die, and not come out since. But it seemed, from those papers, that Georgiou had gone farther than simply believing in the power of nature. He had built something to defend it.

Cassidy was almost shocked by what she found, especially considering what had happened on the airship. But soon, she came to accept it, even be proud of it. She decided not to tell Beech about anything she found. Casey remained carefully guarded in her hurried dinners with him, and that was the only time they saw each other. Between work and school, they did not meet much during the week.

When Beech offered Casey her first pokemon, she refused. She had received one from the elderly Professor Elm in Johto. Despite Beech's superior knowledge, Elm was leader of the Professors' Guild as its most senior member. Beech seemed to have a bit of a grudge against him. Casey was glad that something could get under her adopted-father's skin, because at least when he was mad, he showed emotion. The rest of the time, he was stoic as a statue.

She didn't feel anything for him. How could she? Not after her Grandfather died. With her whole family dead… since then, Casey had never felt love but anything but the things her grandfather had: herself and pokemon.

(-o-)

We moved east, passing stepped rice paddies and several trainers. We managed to snap Casey out of her thoughtfulness for long enough to join us in some fights, but she lapsed back into silence as the day went on. As the sun went down, Richard checked the map and saw we were a few miles from the place where the path turned north and followed a series of wooden bridges all the way to Lavender Town.

Casey just nodded glumly. It was starting to bug me. I had only known Casey for a day, but I already hated to see her sad. But there was hope.

"Hey Casey!" I called; she started and looked up at me. "Are you up for a little sparring match?"

"I want in," said Richard, pulling out a pokeball.

"It's fine," said Casey, gesturing for him to stand back. She smiled, finally looking like her usual self. She pulled out a pokeball from her bag, but not just any pokeball. It was her starter pokeball. Her first and most trusted companion.

Casey almost felt sorry me, I think, but I drew a ball and readied to fight. We were both smiling broadly.


	11. Chapter 10: The Nest

Chapter 10: The Nest

**Chapter 10: The Nest**

Deep beneath the Seafoam Islands, in a cave carved by the tide from solid ice, snow was beginning to fall…

Rogan blinked. _Snow? Underground? That can only mean…_His eyes widened behind his goggles. Admin Rogan hissed loudly, "Everyone, she's coming. Take you positions!"

No sooner had he spoken then did an icy coo wring through the caverns. It was a beautiful, gentle sound, but it was so loud that the walls shook and the Stormies had to cover their ears. As soon as the noise had stopped, pokemon were summoned, and Rogan waved for a silent motion forward.

He entered the nest room alone, running in a difficult crouch. Rogan fled to a chunk of ice he had staked out on the floor and knelt behind it. He could hear wing-beats overhead. Rogan looked up and a snow flake landed on the lens of his goggles. The heat-seeking feature scanned the ceiling, looking for something… just beyond the wall of ice above his head, something colder than anything else in the cave was circling. That could only mean an ice pokemon of highest caliber…

Articuno descended through the roof, gliding on frigid wings. Snow cascaded down from the air around it, padding the floor below. The legendary pokemon fluttered down, light as a snowflake, to rest in the massive circular nest in the center of the building. Although Articuno was beautiful, it was also, at the time, splattered with blood. The carcass of a dead Seel hung from its icicle-beak.

The legendary pokemon was building a nest, it was stocking up on food, which could only mean one thing: eggs were on the way. Despite the cold Rogan began to sweat with the knowledge of what he was about to do. He was the Storm's greatest pokemon hunter, but this would be difficult.

Admin Rogan stood pokeball in hand, to face down Articuno.

(-o-)

There was a red flash as Casey called out her first pokemon. It wasn't one I was familiar with: a small, blue, bipedal reptile with a huge toothy maw. I was staring down a Totodile. I made a strange gurgling noise and waved its arms, smiling.

I threw down my pokeball, summoning Lickitung. I was playing my newest pokemon for two reasons: 1) I wanted to see him in battle and 2) I was hoping a win would cheer Casey up. She smiled, knowing what an advantage she had.

"Start off with Surf, Totodile!"

The water pokemon rose on a wave of summoned water, smashing into Lickitung and turning him on his head. I had checked Lickitung out at a PC in the Pokemon Center, and knew his move set, so I returned an attack.

"Lick!" Lickitung obeyed, lashing out with his massive tongue. It wrapped around Totodile, lifting it into the air and drenching it was sticky saliva. Totodile seemed as grossed out by this as its trainer had been, and washed the spit off with some water from its mouth. This left it open…

"Now Slam 'em!" Lickitung lunged, smashing into Totodile with his stomach. It was really more of a body slam, but equally powerful. Totodile started fighting back in earnest, spraying Water Gun after Water Gun at Lickitung. He dodged to the sides and back, but his foe had him on the run.

"Screech!" commanded Casey. Totodile made a horrible squealing noise, sending a burst of sound waves from its mouth. The attack hit Lickitung, forcing him to cover his ears…

"And Surf again!"

Lickitung, was slammed at much faster speed. That Totodile could move on land like it should in water. That was dangerous. Lickitung lay sprawled on the ground, tongue lolling out.

"Finish him with Iron Tail!" Totodile, leapt into the air, tail suddenly becoming metallic, and descended on Lickitung.

(-o-)

Rogan opened his pokeball calmly; Articuno hadn't seen him yet, but the ball's red flash alerted her. Standing in the room was Rogan's favored pokemon, his long-trusted Infernape. The pokemon wore its usual impish grin, and the flames on its mane and arms flared with excitement.

Articuno gave another coo-roar of fear and with a flurry of snowflakes, fluttered into the air.

"Infernape, Flare Blitz!" Rogan's goggles locked onto the legendary bird, surrounding it with a white corona; the goggle transmitted to a small strand of nano bots in Infernape's brain. Rogan didn't want his pokemon injected with the bots, but this dosage only improved loyalty and obedience, so Rogan had finally consented. An added bonus was that Infernape and Rogan could link mentally through a computer, making them an almost unbeatable combo.

Infernape leapt up, hands blazing, and smashed into the legendary pokemon; an explosion erupted from its hands, damaging both pokemon, though the latter much more. Articuno drifted to the ground, wings burned, and began struggling up. Rogan sent a silent command through the microphone attached to his goggles and Infernape crashed down into its foe with a quick Mach Punch.

Articuno flailed again, knocking the fire pokemon aside, and rose up. Now she meant business. It flared its wings, sending a massive burst of icy wind scraping through the caverns. The Blizzard caught Infernape off guard and hurled it back. Rogan's pokemon hit the wall, and he quietly urged it up. Infernape chattered angrily.

"Flamethrower," he said into his mic. Infernape breathed out a jet of oily flames and shot across the room. Articuno let loose an Ice Beam so cold that it froze the flames solid and smashed them into the floor.

Rogan swore; he had had the element of surprise and type advantage with him at first, but his pokemon couldn't stand against a legendary alone for long. He drew a second pokeball and threw it in, calling out Magmortar, his next best pokemon. With Articuno still targeted by his goggles, Rogan ordered a Flamethrower from both pokemon.

The legendary bird couldn't dodge both. Infernape's attack missed, but Magmortar's connected; Articuno cried out in pain. It started to fall to the floor, but Infernape connected with another Mach Punch before it hit the ground, and Articuno was hurled into an ice wall.

In a desperate attempt to escape, Articuno rose and fought back with Ancient Power. Shards of stone and glowing energy rose from the ground, and Articuno sent them flying at her assailants. Infernape leapt from rock to rock and up into the air over his prey, and Magmortar defended with Protect. Infernape, now falling onto Articuno, launched another Flamethrower…

Right into Articuno's waiting Reflect. Infernape was almost fainted by the explosion of its own attack. It lay on the ground, still for a few minutes. Rogan turned to Magmortar and nodded. A device had just been attached to Magmortar's arm, and more Storm troops were moving into the room. Articuno looked around with fear. She cooed loudly, and flapped her wings, determined not to be killed so easily.

(-o-)

Lickitung moved out of the way with speed that surprised even me. Totodile pulled its metallic tail out of the ground and looked at my pokemon. It was starting to get angry.

"Surf!"

"Disable!" I shouted, before Totodile could attack. Suddenly, the water pokemon looked confused, like it had forgotten what it was doing. It stopped moving, scratched its head, and looked to its trainer for support.

"Surf," said Casey again, and her pokemon could only shrug. It had forgotten how to use that technique…

"Now Slam!" Lickitung swiped sideways with his tongue, knocking Totodile off its feet.

"Water Gun back!"

Totodile fired back a jet of water, filling Lickitung's still open mouth and filling it. My pokemon fell stupidly on his back. I don't think Lickitung quite understood the point of pokemon battles. He didn't seem mad at all that Totodile had attacked it. It was almost like he thought it was fair to be hit: after all, he had hit Totodile.

"Rollout!" I said; got to make it a good fight, at least.

Lickitung leapt into a ball and rolled quickly at his foe. Totodile sidestepped, and Lickitung came around for a second roll… as Lickitung rolled in to finish the job, Totodile quickly turned, swinging his tail like a baseball bat and sending Lickitung flying. He landed in a puddle nearby with a tremendous splash.

Lickitung let out a little puff of breath and went to sleep, his massive tongue curling and uncurling as he snored. I sighed and returned him to his ball. Casey was smiling wickidly.

"Should've used someone stronger," she said. "I know you have better pokemon than that. Why did you use Lickitung?"

I shrugged. "Wanted to practice with him, that's all."

"Whatever," she said; she was still smiling, and that was good.

I smiled back, and Richard joined in, and the three of us walked on until dark.

(-o-)

A Blizzard swept through the whole cavern, buffeting Magmortar and the other pokemon around the room. They were mostly flying a bug type, and several fainted on contact with the frozen wind.

Magmortar raised his arm, which was shaped like a yellow cannon and currently filled with something resembling a black metal egg. Rogan opened the egg-shaped device with a silent command, and Magmortar pumped a Flamethrower to it to activate it. A glowing pulse of energy shot out of Magmortar's arm, striking Articuno in the shoulder. The pulse exploded, releasing a glowing energy net that trapped the legendary's left wing.

She struggled and flapped with her good wing, but Articuno couldn't get away. Magmortar stalked forward and fire a Solar Beam with its other arm, strait into Articuno's face. The legendary's power was completely gone now, and Articuno slumped to the ground. She was badly damaged, but even then Magmortar and Rogan didn't let up. It fired three more energy nets onto the legendary pokemon, completely trapping it…

The remaining flying pokemon took to the air, trailing more physical netting; the draped Articuno carefully, like a bride donning her dress. She was now painfully asleep, and even if she woke, Articuno could never be free.

Rogan stepped forward, holding a yellow-black Ultra-ball. With a smile, he cast it onto Articuno, and with a red flash, the legendary pokemon vanished. She was captured.

(-o-)

"So… what now?" Casey asked. We had gotten of the road a little ways and were setting up camp in the forest nearby. Charmeleon started a fire with a little jet of flame, and Richard pulled out the bag of hotdogs we'd been having for dinner for the last few months. Casey looked a little bummed that that was the only food we had, but she didn't complain and hers quickly.

"We were planning on going ahead to Lavender Town," I explained. "Richard wants to take a shot at the ghost pokemon up I the tower there, and I'd like to forge north a little ways and maybe get a peak at the Rock Mountain Tunnel."

Casey nodded.

"Are you still with us?"

She nodded. "Yeah, I'll stick with you guys for a while. If that's alright, I mean. Safety in numbers, right?"

I nodded glumly, and said under my breath. "Yeah, right. That's it."

"Hey!" she said, catching my down look. "That's not the only reason. You guys are pretty cool. I like you. I'm staying because… well, we're friends right? That's what we're supposed to do."

I nodded. I hoped she meant that.

That night, Richard and I had bought new sleeping mats in Fuchsia, and we laid them out under the stars. It was a little odd, not sleeping in my usual instant-tent, but the stars were nice too. Casey rolled out her polka-dotted sleeping bag a few feet away and curled up in it. Her Pikachu snuggled into the bag with her, warming her like an electric blanket. Richard's Charmeleon slept between us, the heat pulsing from its body more than enough to keep us warm.

I turned over and tried. To sleep; it had been a full day. And I was very tired, but there seemed no need to sleep. I still wanted to do more, be more prepared… but again, there were no engines in the sky; I could hear no voices or alerts. It seemed safe enough.

I hoped Rook was somewhere far away, and I hoped he would be ready; with all these thoughts running through my head… it seemed odd that the one that I finally found rest in was that I would be ready to fight Rook. I was a long was from that day, but I would be ready.

(-o-)

John Rook was, in fact, still in Fuchsia City. He had kept watch on the gym all day, and now was walking slowly through a park at the edge of town. He was well aware of someone following him, but had not yet said anything. Rook turned quickly into an alleyway and grabbed a pokeball.

He counted. One… two… three…

And turned. Rook threw down his pokeball, summoning an Electabuzz to the ground before him. They rounded the corner together to face…

There were two men standing before him. One was clearly Koga, dressed in his usually violet tunic. The other was a shorter man, slightly balding, in a round black suit with a red-and-yellow tie. They were both holding pokeballs.

"Why if it isn't that young student who showed such promise so long ago," said the man in the suit. "Rook, you should have died a long time ago. But because you didn't, I know have to correct my mistake. You end here, Rook."

Koga nodded and grunted. "Do not try to flee, Rook. The rest of the Johto Elite are on their way here, and even you cannot stand against all of us battling at full strength."

Rook looked between the two men, searching for words…

A powerful Psychic attack hit Rook in the stomach; he went flying across the alley like a paper plane. The suit-man's pokemon, an Alakazam, stepped out of the shadows with a little grunt. Rook sat up, his breath rasping behind his metal mask. He struggled back to his feet just as Koga summoned his massive Muk, and glanced around with his single amber eye.

"Defeat is never quite as inevitable as it seems," said Rook calmly. He was thinking of Cassidy. "We shall who leaves this city and who doesn't."


	12. Chapter 11: A Cornered Animal

Chapter 11: A Cornered Animal

**Chapter 11: A Cornered Animal**

Alakazam fired a quick Shadowball at Electabuzz, which it dodged, and fired back with a Thunderbolt. It was unusually strong, enhanced by a deep secret power within all of Rook's pokemon… Alakazam stumbled back, and the man in the suit looked shocked.

Rook smiled, concealed by the metal. "What, Will, did you think I hadn't gotten stronger as well? I can tap into power you only dream of. Bear witness! Thunderpunch!"

Electabuzz leapt forward, screeching loudly. Electricity coursed down into its hand and Electabuzz Punched low, catching its foe in the stomach. Bolts of blinding electricity appeared on the other side of Alakazam's body, and the psychic pokemon was thrown high into the air.

"Now Thunder!"

A cloud had gathered overhead, and from it, great snakes and dragons of solid lightning spiraled down, blasting through Alakazam and connecting with Electabuzz, charging it with light. The poor psychic pokemon fell to the ground, fainted. Will fumbled for another pokeball and Koga took over.

"Shadow Punch!"

"Thunder Punch!"

The two pokemon collided, black fist to yellow one. The energies of shadow and thunder canceled each other out, and both pokemon were knocked back slightly. Will finally found another ball and cast it down, summoning an Espeon to the field.

Muk crawled forward, lashing out with slimy arms, trying to ensnare Rook and his pokemon. Espeon stepped primly forward, gripping Electabuzz in a Psychic hold. Finally, a sludgy arm wrapped around Electabuzz, only to be exploded off by a Thunderbolt. Electabuzz, lashed out with another electrical attack, causing Espeon to jump back and weaken its grip. Electabuzz hit the ground and leapt forward, Thunderpunching Muk in the stomach, and causing the poison pokemon to ooze backward.

"Now Cross Chop!" screamed Rook. He was getting desperate, pinned in this alley like a trapped animal…

Electabuzz jumped forward, slashing both of his arms diagonally in an X shape. Muk was split in four, but it simply congealed back together with little damage taken. Electabuzz cast about with wild eyes. There was little hope fore it.

A Swift attack hit it in the side, pushing it back. Electabuzz, glanced quickly at its trainer… Rook was pointing up above them: there were power lines just above the alley…

"Thunder."

Massive bolts of electricity coursed out of the power lines and into Electabuzz, supercharging it. Its skin glowed yellowish-white, like a small spiky star. Eletabuzz held out its long hands, and huge claws of lightning raked across the alley, causing Muk to bubble in the heat and Espeon to hiss and leap back. Koga and Will shielded their eyes from the brightness, and John Rook smiled, drawing a second pokeball…

A hole opened up in the ground, and from it a huge metal head rose. A snake the size of a bus made of chunks of metal came out of the ground, its huge toothy mouth smiling. An immensely muscular man wearing a white t-shirt and pants stood on its head, sharing in his pokemon's grin.

The Steelix rose up to its full height; it was now towering above the buildings. Electabuzz's Thunder was pulled in my Steelix's metal and absorbed by the earth at its core. Steelix lunged down, smashing Electubuzz into the pavement with its huge head. The man standing on the pokemon's head stepped onto the ground and grabbed John Rook, crushing him in his thick arms. Koga leapt over the attacking Steelix and tossed a weighted net over Rook. Rook was screaming now, lashing out and struggling. He was terrified, horrified. John Rook had failed, captured at the hands of three Elite Four members.

Koga nodded at Bruno, who had come to his rescue, and returned his pokemon. They gathered up the captured criminal and ran back to the gym.

(-o-)

Eyes.

Everywhere, there were always eyes. It was something those stupid children would never learn. The man with the elaborately styled flower-petal-hair sat at a bank of computers, his hair no longer teased up, but still oddly colored, fading into yellow and pink. It hung long and lank over his whole head, and a ring-shaped helmet rested over his eyes. He watched Rook's capture live via a camera on the same Raticate he had he used before. He smiled, knowing his boss would soon be free. Until then, he took his orders directly from the true master…

"_Rook has been captured?_" the director whispered into the microphone in his ear.

"Yes," answered the man.

"_Tell me, Hade,_" whispered the director. His voice was so oddly modified… Hade had always wondered what it really sounded like. "_Where are the others?_"

"Rogan is in the Seafoam Islands. He has captured Articuno; I watched the battle through his goggles. It was quite interesting. Chloe is near Lavender Town; she had an interesting idea involving the radio tower there that will no doubt come in very handy. And Akila is in the caves under Victory Road. She believes Moltres has been there recently."

The director hummed. "_And what of the children who have been such a bother?_"

"Actually," said Hade, smiling. "I'm watching them right now."

There was a brief silence as Hade connected the screen he was watching to the system in the master's private quarters. There was another hum from the master as he watched what Hade was watching.

The three children were sleeping a few feet from each other to east of Fuchsia, a few miles from the coast. A Beedrill watched them quietly from the trees, a camera attached to its cheek. Hade could just picture the director smiling to himself.

"_Chloe is the closest to them, correct?_"

"Yes."

"_Order her to abandon her post temporarily; she must capture the girl. Leave the boys behind. I have a feeling they will be useless without her. Do it at once. I want her in out hands tonight and saved for Rook. He must be the one to kill her._"

There was a final click as the master disconnected his communicated.

Hade sighed, wishing he was out in the field more often, and pressed Chloe's button on communications console next to the screens. She answered cheerily, as she always did.

"Chloe: I have explicit instructions for you from the director."


	13. Chapter 12: Gone

Chapter 12: Gone

**Chapter 12: Gone**

This time, the children's fate did not come on the wings of dragons or strange aircraft. It came in a balloon… sort of…

Chloe drifted quickly over the series of bridges that linked Lavender town to eastern Fuchsia. She was riding on her Drifblim, a large, purple, hot-air-balloon-like pokemon. It made no noise as it flew, crossing over the trees and roads silently on a self generated wind. Chloe was searching for the coordinates Hade had given her. She was only to take the girl… the director had said nothing about the boys, so they were to be left alone.

Drifblim arrived a few hundred yards away from the coordinates, and Chloe dropped down to a treetop, her white boots catching at a branch. She returned her pokemon and climbed lightly down. Pokemon chirped in the night around her, covering the sound of her footfalls.

And there they were… that foolish little girl and her friends. They were asleep in a rough triangle with two pokemon among them: a Pikachu and a Charmeleon. Chloe swore silently.

She crouched behind a log, planning. She could simply run out, grab the girl, and fly away on one of her faster, pokemon, but then that would wake the boys and their pokemon, and they could follow her later… she could sneak in silently and gag the girl before she could speak, then ride away on her Drifloon. That seemed the best option, but there was always the chance of waking the pokemon…

Chloe sighed and shook her head, and then she got up stepped into the camp as quietly as she could. The Charmeleon stirred as she passed it, but it didn't wake up. The flame on its tail burned a little brighter as she went by.

And there was the girl… Casey Ryne, her cute little Pikachu cuddled up with her… Chloe sneered.

She pulled out a little black case she had brought with her and held it up to the Pikachu's nose. The electric pokemon sniffed in its sleep and made a subconscious face. Within seconds, the Sleep Powder spores in the case put it into a sleep so deep that it could fall off a cliff and not notice until after it hit the bottom.

The spores were also given to Casey, to make sure she wasn't awake. With a little effort, Chloe pulled the girl out of her sleeping bag and laid her out on the hard earth. Casey looked uncomfortable, like she was having a bad dream, but didn't wake up. Chloe wrapped her hands and ankles with zip ties and tied a piece of cloth around the girl's mouth. The admin ran off into the trees, trying not giggle with pride, and took to the air on her rising balloon pokemon…

(-o-)

I blinked wearily and looked around. Still where I was when I went to sleep. That was always a good thing. But there was something else… off. There was a little padding noise as something walked up to me. I looked up to see a tired looking Pikachu that stumbled over and fell onto the side of my sleeping bag. It sighed weakly and looked at me with forlorn eyes.

"Hey Casey," I called. "I think there's something wrong with your Pikachu…"

There was no answer. I looked over at Casey's bed. No Casey, either. That was odd… I called again, this time waking Richard. We got up and looked around the forest for a while, hoping we wouldn't walk up on her doing… something we shouldn't see. But we didn't. No Casey. Anywhere.

We went back to the camp and looked around again. Pikachu was fast asleep again, this time curled up in my bed. Casey's sleeping bag was slightly disturbed, like she had crawled out the top. It looking like a shucked cocoon lying there on the ground. Its brightness stood out among the muted earth and trees…

"Do you think she abandoned us?" Richard asked, scratching his head.

I checked around some more.

"No, her bag's still over here, where we threw all out stuff."

All of us had piled up our backpacks and bags together between Casey's and my sleeping bags. Hers was still there; it was a cream-colored, highlighted with sky blue and pink, leather shoulder bag. It stood out like a sore thumb between Richard's red nylon, and my brown nylon backpacks. Casey would never have left without her pokemon… unless she had planned on coming back quickly.

We waited a while longer; Pikachu finally woke up and looked around worriedly. I think it knew what was going on. Or at least, it wanted its trainer back.

Realization hit me like a freight train, or at least a metaphorical freight train, because I wasn't mauled and mutilated by the epiphany.

"He's taken her," I told Richard, quickly becoming absolutely certain. "John Rook's got her. We have to find them, before he… he was supposed to kill her. If he's realized that he's failed… what if he was who she was running from? She came to us because Rook found her…"

"Ok," said Richard quickly. "Let's not jump to conclusions. Maybe she forgot something on the road and went back for it."

"Without telling either of us or taking her pokemon?" Richard looked carefully at his shoes. "I doubt it, Richard."

"Ok, so suppose she was taken…" said Richard, starting to agree. "Where would this Rook guy take her?"

"I don't know. There's not much about the Storm's Eye that I do know. I've fought a few grunts, and…" I remembered Celadon City, and the base there, and the computer. "That's it! I raided one of their bases in Celadon City. That must be how this all started. This grunt I beat there… he must've told someone about me… and now their tracking us."

My mind was on a role. It seemed only logical that these events were all linked, despite the lack of absolute proof. Richard wouldn't believe me until I had that proof, but I was pretty sure of what I was talking about.

And then I remembered what I had taken away from the base. "And… there was this list… it was like a roster of all the Storm's bases and safe houses." I dug out my bag and began sifting through it until I came across the paper I had taken that night. It was folded up at the bottom of my backpack. I unfurled it before Richard and searched through the list of base locations. "They have a safe house in Lavender Town… three actually. That's the biggest installment near here. At worst, it's a place to start. We need to hurry though. It'll take another three days to make it Lavender walking, and we might not even be going in the right direction…"

"I could fly ahead on Fearow and check it out," offered Richard. I frowned, slightly jealous.

"But that would leave me here. And what if you got into trouble where you needed backup?"

"Well you don't have anyone that can fly!"

This was true. I'd been meaning to catch a flying type for a long time but hadn't gotten around to it yet. It was annoying that Richard might have to go ahead without me… but if there was a solution, I'd find it.

"Wait, what about Casey's pokemon?" I asked. "Maybe she has a flying type I can borrow."

Richard nodded.

I reached for our friend's bag and sifted through the front pocket until I found the one containing her pokeballs. I located an empty one and returned Pikachu to it, then took the other four balls there and activated them.

Casey's Totodile and Nidorina came out, in addition to two of her other pokemon: Butterfree and… Pigeott. I was in luck.

(-o-)

Casey woke up… hurting. She felt like she'd been asleep for days. And she must've rolled out her sleeping bag, because she was lying on something hard. She rolled over, knocking on the floor with her fist. It clanked.

Her eyes snapped open and Casey bolted up, immediately regretting her speed; her side and back hurt, and so did her throat. She coughed a few times, looking around. She had thought it was still night when she first awoke, because it was dark all around her. She realized then that it was dark because she was in some sort of small room. The floor swayed a little, giving Casey the distinct feeling she was on a boat, but when she pressed her ear to the wall she couldn't hear the telltale hiss of the sea.

Weird.

She had been lying on the corner created by the wall and floor, so she followed the wall around, leaving her jacket where she had first lay. The cell was small, maybe ten feet by twelve. Casey became aware, as she walked, that her hair was a complete mess. That was the first time she'd gone to bed without showering before or afterward in a long time. Her copper mane was sticking out wildly, and she wished she had a rubber band to tie it down.

Finally, the realization of what was going on struck her. Where was Ian? And Richard? And her sleeping bag, purse, and pokemon? And why wasn't she in the forest? With a shock that jolted her very heart, Casey screamed, knocking on the wall desperately, wondering how she had ever come to be there.

After she had screamed for a few minutes, someone outside yelled gruffly at her to shut up, and she did, afraid of what would happen if she didn't. Casey curled up on the swaying ground and began to cry.

(-o-)

I'd never flown on a pokemon before… well, I guess there was that one time on Matt's Dragonite, but I was in too much of a daze to notice that. and Casey's Pigeot was different: I was used to having a much lighter person sitting on its back, but it managed. We were headed toward Fuchsia at a great speed.

Now, for most people, I'm sure riding on the back of a giant bird is a very enjoyable experience. For me, it was anything but. As you probably know by now, I'm not the best with heights. And if I thought being in a big, mostly-safe-but-still-highly-flammable blimp was sickening… well, let me just say that that was cake compared to riding a small, not-so-safe-and-still-flammable pokemon.

We touched down at the edge of Fuchsia, a tiny town on the eastern edge of Kanto. There wasn't much there, other than two towers that stood near each other on the edge of town: the grim, pale Ghost Tower, and the _Pokemon Radio_ broadcast tower, clearly visible with its huge, gaudy pokeball marker at the top.

The north was Rock Mountain, and the various, less famous mountains that surrounded it, and to the west was the road to Saffron.

Richard landed just in front of me, stepping off his massive Fearow and returning it. I did the same with Pigeot, and put its ball back in Casey's bag, which I carried. I noticed that the name "Beech" was printed on the back of the ball with permanent black ink, and wondered what that could mean. The name sounded familiar… maybe Casey had said it once and I had forgotten.

Casey. I was so worried about her I felt sick. Richard came over to me and I took out the list of safe houses. If we wanted to find her, we had to stick to business. There were three addresses, all on the same street, probably a few blocks away from each other.

We got directions to the street and set off. It was on the northern edge of town, not far from the towers. We passed the first house, walking casually. There seemed nothing off about it, so we kept going. The next two house were about three blocks away, and only one door apart from each other.

This time, Richard kept walking and I turned and ran into the alley, moving behind the houses. I got to the fence, which, by my count, should have backed the first house. There was a knothole in the wood, so I looked through. No on in the yard.

I grabbed onto one of the cross beams of the fence and vaulted over; it wasn't very high. Richard –who was now waiting at the end of the alley- followed me over. The yard was unkempt, but not necessarily messy. Yellow grass grew shin-high everywhere, and a few dead shrubs and flowers withered sadly off to the side. There was a rusty shed in the back-left corner of the yard; it was badly oxidized that it was almost as red as the brick-back of the house in front of us.

I walked up to the house at a crouch, hoping I didn't leave too obvious a path in the grass. Richard was right behind me. I looked in through the windows on the ground floor, but couldn't reach the second floor ones. Most of the windows were curtained, but through the few that weren't, I caught glimpses of cheaply furnished, threadbare rooms that looked more like the outside of most people's houses than the inside.

"Ian!" hissed Richard, pointing to one window. It was open, just a crack. He made a move to enter the window, but I stopped him.

"Go ring the doorbell first and run back into the alley. If no one answers, then no one's home and we can go in."

He nodded and jumped back over the fence.

I waited for what seemed like hours, but was doubtlessly much less. Richard finally clambered back over the fence and waded through the grass to me. He told me, "I waited for a few seconds and tried again, but no one came. Let's go."

Richard let out Charmeleon and I summoned Eevee because she was small and fast, and together we climbed into the empty house.

(-o-)

After a while, they switched a light on for her.

Casey blinked as they (whoever they were) did, and finally got a glimpse of her room. The walls were grey linoleum, and the floors metal grating. It was very odd decor, she thought. One wall was a wide black window halfway up it. No doubt one-way glass. Someone was watching her.

"Hey!" she called hoarsely. "Who are you? What do you want, and where's all my stuff?"

No one answered, but she hadn't expected them to. Casey frowned and kicked the wall. With a little sniff of self-pity, she started pacing the room slowly, waiting for someone to answer her.

(-o-)

We climbed through the window and began looking around. There was almost as much rust on the inside of the house as there was on the outside.

There were a few papers spread out on the table, which I checked. Little of interest: a bit about how electrical attacks from pokemon could charge electronic devices. There was also a page that looked like blueprints of the radio tower. Very weird.

Richard and his Charmeleon leapt up the stairs to search. Eevee and I checked out the rooms on the ground floor. There was a small, unmade bedroom, a laundry room, kitchen, and broken-down den. There didn't seem to be any sign of Casey though.

"Ian!" Richard called from up stairs. "There's a car pulling up in front of the house. And… weird people getting out of it."

I heard him swear loudly and joined him in that act. I scrambled for somewhere to hide, knowing Richard was doing the same. I found a low cupboard that seemed empty in the hall between the kitchen and front door and climbed in pulling Eevee in with me and praying no one would see…

"But what do we do about Rook?" said a girl's voice loudly into Pokenav. I saw a pair of white boots stalk by the crack between the doors of my hiding place. Two black-booted feet walked by as well, shucking their footwear next to my cupboard. The girl waited for an answer that I couldn't hear.

"Yeah, I suppose, but what if he doesn't? We need to get in there and get him out, Hade. I don't care if it's suicide! Without Rook, we're totally screwed. He's the only one the director really trusts!" Whoever she was conversing with… Hade, said something. "Oh. On his way here? I don't know if I can wait. There's supposed to be a thunderstorm tomorrow night, and that's my best shot at… ok. I'll hold out for as long as I can. Bye…"

I pressed my ear to the wall of the cupboard, straining to hear what Hade was saying. Finally, the girl answered in a voice I could hear.

"Oh, the girl." _Casey? _"I brought her to the Iris. She should be safe in a holding cell there for now. You can go see her if you want. I'm sure she'd be glad to know of her fate. Ok, love ya Hade. Later."

There was a pause, footsteps. I heard the thud of someone climbing stairs. Eevee whimpered. She was worried about Richard, and I realized why. _Please be hidden well…_

I heard a window break. Shit, they found him. Someone screamed, and I heard a loud crack. Well… nothing left to do in the cupboard. I punched the door open and rolled out, Eevee springing to attention. The two grunts that had accompanied the girl were standing at the bottom of the stairs, shouting up. When they saw me, they both began growling and summoned pokemon. Kadabra and Zubat appeared in the hallway, glaring angrily at my Eevee. Eevee growled back bravely.

"Quick Attack!"

Before the other two pokemon could move, Eevee became a wild blur, smashing into Kadabra bowling both pokemon and their trainers over in the hall. Eevee darted back to me and we darted out into the front yard. Richard had jumped out the window and landed on the lawn. Charmeleon, as well as his new Ryhorn, were on the ground, both looking up at… I'm not sure what. It looked like a hot air balloon… but had eyes.

I realized it must've been the pokemon Drifblim; I'd heard about it, but knew nothing of its attacks or stats. It hovered in the air like a giant, menacing jellyfish, black ghost energies gathering between its dangling arms.

There was a young woman standing on top of the pokemon. She was wearing white boots and a short white dress covered in purple spirals. Her hair was glacial blue, which wasn't as odd as you'd think around here.

She was shouting orders to her pokemon. "Shadow Ball!" A sphere of black energy gathered between Drifblim's arms and launched itself at Charmeleon. The fire pokemon dodged, leaping up and over the Shadow Ball. The attack collided with the ground, leaving a crater in the unkempt grass.

Richard launched back Flamethrower, and I returned Eevee, summoning my Staryu. I added a Swift attack to Richard's, sending the ghost pokemon back into the house behind it. Ryhorn used a quick Rock Blast which smashed Drifblim deeper back and Richard tugged on my sleeve, returning his two pokemon. He let out Fearow, and I released Pigeot, and soon, we were safely in the air, away over Rock Mountain.

(-o-)

Chloe leapt down from her wounded pokemon and returned it. So much for trying to capture the stupid kids… it would have been easier to just let Drifblim kill it. It had wanted to. Chloe could tell. She sighed and went back into the house, hand already bringing up Hade's number on her pokenav and calling him.

His pokenave was switched off, so she got his answering machine. "Hey Hade," she said, after a recording of his voice reminded her to leave her name, number, and rank. "Look, these two kids got into the house and might have heard some things. I don't know how much. I think they were that stupid Ryne girl's little boyfriends. I tired to catch them but they got away. It was three on one, hardly fair but… I guess I should stop bitching about it do something. I'll send my men after them; I have too much to think about now as it is. Call me back when you get this. Thanks."

She hung up and pocketed her nav. Chloe looked down at the grunts who were still struggling out from under their pokemon. First, they had to get out of this house. Second, after those stupid meddling kids.

(-o-)

Richard and I circled up over the mountain and then back past the towers. That woman… she seemed to be interested in the radio tower. That couldn't lead to anything good. And thunderstorms… I remembered seeing those notes on her table about electric pokemon charging objects. Maybe she wanted to charge up the radio tower during the storm… but so what? That didn't seem to do much for anyone.

We found a hotel, and I already felt lonely checking in without Casey. I'd only known her for a day and already it was hard without her. God, I'm hopeless!

But there was hope: Richard hadn't heard anything the woman said, so I told him all I had learned. Something called the Iris. That was what interested Richard. He thought it might be some sort of code name. I knew the iris was the center part of the eye, so maybe it had to do with the center… I don't know. Maybe like their HQ or something?

But there was someone Richard thought of that he knew we could ask, and luckily, that man lived right here in Lavender: Fuji.


	14. Chapter 13: Two Hostages

Chapter 13: Two Hostages

**Chapter 13: Two Hostages**

Koga and Bruno laid out John Rook's body on a tabled in the basement of Koga's Gym. Will watched from the corner, holding handcuffs in his hand. Luckily, the table was bolted to the floor, and they attached Rook to it with the cuffs. The men stood back to admire their handiwork. And then the search began.

They patted down Rook's coat, taking all of his pokeballs, money, pocket knife… there was surprisingly little in his pockets. That seemed odd for such a villain. There was, however, one complication…

"What's that on his arm?" Bruno asked in his usual gruff voice. There was a bulge under the sleeve of John Rook's right arm. Koga split the sleeve with a knife from his boot and rolled back the cloth. On Rook's arm was an odd silver device, bearing a slight resemblance to snag machine.

There were some sizable differences though. This device seemed to be made of three, ellipse-shaped shells positioned about a central arm-band. Bruno tugged at it, but the device didn't come off. Rook stirred in his fist-induced unconsciousness, but didn't wake. There was a slight dent in his face plate, but that too showed no sign of coming off. Koga sighed and gestured for another pair of handcuffs. Will produced one from his front pocket and Koga handcuffed Rook's other hand.

"We can interrogate him when he awakes," said the gym leader with a sigh. His comrades nodded. "But for now, I intend to sleep. Will? I trust you don't mind taking the first watch?"

"Of course," said Will, taking a chair from the table and sitting in the corner.

Koga nodded and sighed. Bruno clapped him on the shoulder, smiling despite the exhaustion they both felt.

"I'd like to rest as well," said the massively muscular man. "A long night of tunneling really takes it out of guy. The jet lag's not so bad though."

The three men laughed, and Will let out his Espeon for company. He looked down at the man he had once known, now handcuffed to a table and sighed. Rook wouldn't be escaping any time soon.

(-o-)

Casey was curled up in a ball in one corner, asleep. She was using her arms as a pillow on the hard metal floor. Whoever was watching her had turned off the lights so she could sleep.

She woke the next morning, still in the room. It hadn't just been a dream for her to wake up from… she sighed and got up, and this time, the lights went on at once. A little trapdoor opened quickly near the wall, something slid through, and it closed again before she could see what was behind it. Casey investigated.

Sitting on the floor in front of the trap door was a tray bearing a plate of greasy-looking food and a bottle of water. At least they weren't going to let her starve. Casey ate ravenously, and as she did, something about the plate became clear… there was writing on it. She cleared off the rest of the plate and read its message.

"Look at the window" was scrawled on it in permanent ink. She did so, and after she had stared at the dark, reflective glass for a few seconds, the darkness dimmed, and the glass became transparent.

There was a man with multicolored hair (mostly pink and blond) that was styled oddly so it looked like a flower on top of his head. If his head was a flower, then his clothes were his leaves, all torn browns and greens. He wore a pair of reflective glass sunglasses.

"So," he said, his voice carried into the room over a speaker. "You're Casey Ryne."

"Yeah," she said, as calmly as she could. Then, she shouted, "Who are you? And why are you keeping me here? Where are my friends? And where's all my stuff?"

The flower-man chuckled. He crossed his arms with something that looked to Casey as being between intimidation and "boyish-attitude", as Casey would have put it.

"_You_ are somewhere _your friends_ will never get. As to your things… I suppose your friends still have them. I gave Chloe no orders concerning them. I don't suppose you remember Chloe, seeing as you were asleep when she came to you. Ah, the poor young girl, spirited away…"

He cackled like a taunting older brother.

Casey screamed and lashed out, throwing her plate at the window. It shattered harmlessly against the glass. The flower-man raised his eyebrows.

"Feisty little bitch," he said smugly. "I wouldn't have done that if I were you. That was the only plate we had for you. You have to eat your next meal off the ground…but that should really be the least of your worried. As soon as Rook gets back, well, let's just say that you won't have much to complain about after that. Ta ta!"

Casey punched the window, feeling hot tears on her cheeks. She screamed at the window again and again, but the flower-man had already walked out. The glass dimmed, becoming black and stoic again. The lights in the room dimmed out as well, as if to punish her.

Casey cried some more and laid down on the ground, wondering how long it would be until Rook returned…


	15. Chapter 14: Doomsday Radio

Chapter 14: Doomsday Radio

**Chapter 14: Doomsday Radio**

"The Iris," said Mr. Fuji slowly. "I've heard of it, but only as a rumor. Supposedly, right, it's this flying fortress shaped like a giant ring." He held out his fingers to demonstrate. A ring. "It's a stronghold for all sorts of pirates and rogues. Downright nasty, what I've heard."

He nodded. Mr. Fuji was in the extremes of old age, and his whole face shook as he did so; it was almost like he was wearing a mask that was not quite attached to his face. Fuji's Ditto frolicked around the room, mocking my Ivysaur, changing to look like it and taunting it. The two chased each other around the neat room playfully, and I was glad Ivysaur could get his mind off battling. Just then, I couldn't.

"Oh, one more thing: I've often heard the place associated with a group of criminals known as the 'Storm's Eye'. Supposedly, their mission is to show the world the power of pokemon. Really, they're just a bunch of bullies."

"Yeah," said Richard. "We've run into them a few times; that's why we wanted to know about the Iris. You're sure you don't know anything more about it?"

Fuji shrugged. "These are just things people tell me. I don't know whether or not they're true… most of it has been in the past, though. By the way, any pokemon need special care? I'm the one to ask, if you do. I've been a specialist on making them happy since…"

His voice trailed off. He really was getting up there in years. Fuji didn't have much of a short-term memory any more, but despite that, he seemed to know a lot. I smiled, hoping I'd be something like that when I was old.

"We're all right for the moment," I told him. "But you're first on our list."

He smiled a crooked old smile. We smiled back and left. As soon as Richard was out the door, it became clear he didn't find what he had hoped for.

"Well that was a waste," he said haughtily. "I mean, a fortress in the air? Total bull…"

"I think he's right. I mean, if the Iris always keeps moving all the time and stays behind the clouds, then no one would ever see it, and the technology is certainly there." I glanced up at the grey sky which was growing darker. "It could be right above us, right now, and we'd never know."

"Shut up, you know that's not true. If it was, we'd all be driving flying cars and living in flying cities."

"Well what if some people are? We've got all the principles…"

Just then, something else went overhead. It was a helicopter, flapping madly as a hummingbird on steroids, heading towards the towers at the edge of town. I had been a day since Richard and I had snuck into the Storm safe-house, but we both remembered what he had heard there. Someone, a Storm operative of high caliber, was coming to Lavender. We didn't need to know much to know who was in that helicopter.

So the Stormies were gathering here, under a storm… they were going to charge up a radio tower and… do what. It still didn't make since. Part of me wanted to let them do it, just to know what they were planning, but the other part knew we had to stop them. Whatever the Storm's Eye was planning, it couldn't be good.

And maybe if we could capture one of their operatives, we could discover the location of the Iris, and save Casey before Rook got to her.

Suddenly, I remembered what the girl at the safe house had said about Rook… he was captured somewhere and she didn't know what they would do without him. If Rook was captured, then we still had time to find Casey. Chances are, she was still alive… somewhere…

(-o-)

Rogan's helicopter touched down on a low hill just behind the Ghost Tower. He looked grave as he got out, knowing the seriousness of what he was attempting. What _they_ were attempting. The whole Storm was part of this, as was the physical storm brewing above his head…

He took off his goggles and rested them on his forehead. If everything went as planned, he wouldn't need them. What the Storm was planning here was quite obvious, purposefully so. After that night, no one would ever think of the Storm's Eye as little band of rogues and raiders ever again.

Rogan smiled and checked his pockets. All his pokemon were there, as well as the legendary bird he had captured the day before. Articuno's pokeball rested in a special case that prevented it from opening without its master's fingerprint. Rogan and Rook where the only two whose prints were set in the case's hard drive.

He began walking north, toward the radio tower. Guy wire rose up to the spindly tower from all around like a massive spider web. Chloe and her entourage of two grunts waited next to the spot where one wire tethered to the ground. She smiled as he walked up.

"Evening, Rogan," she chirped, breathing on her nails. She snatched up a pokeball and looked at her fellow admin. "Ready for show time?"

"As soon as the storm begins," said Rogan calmly.

Chloe plucked out her pokenav and held it near her mouth. "Ready Hade?"

"Afermative," said Hade. Back in the Iris, he sat at his massive bank of computers, smiling maliciously. Then, frantically, he began typing. Every wild pokemon under the Storm's control had been moved to near Lavender Town. At least, every one capable of Electrical attacks…

Hade now commanded every one of them into the field surrounding the radio tower. They formed a mass of bodies, small and large around the two admins then. All three smiled at once. Chloe pulled out a long case of TMs, all identical, and set to work.

It wouldn't be long until a field of wild pokemon attracted some sort of attention.

(-o-)

Rook woke up unsteadily. He knew what was happening. He could feel it.

The head admin tried to move his arms, but they were handcuffed to the table. He turned his metal face from side to side. At least he could still move that. Sitting on one side of the room was someone Rook had known for a quite a long time: Johto Elite Four member, Will. He had defeated Will along time ago in a Pokemon League match, but never in an all out battle before last night.

Rook thought about throwing out some snide remark, then recalled it. He wasn't needed outside of his cage just yet. Better for now to let the Elite Four think they'd won…

He would wait. His disciples could handle things without him.

(-o-)

We were back at the hotel. Richard was scrolling through stations on the TV when suddenly, the signal went out. I looked out the window to see a volatile sky overhead. Lightning sparked among the clouds. Something about it didn't seem… natural.

I pulled back the cheap blinds a pointed out the sickly sky to Richard. He nodded glumly, as if to say "so?"

"We need to get out there," I told him. Richard looked blank for a second. "I think… I think they're doing something with that radio tower, and whatever it is, it's not going to be good. And maybe we can catch an operative and find out where Casey is. Come on, its worth a shot. Or do you want to sit here and watch static on the TV?"

Richard looked around, sighed, then reluctantly grabbed his coat. We hit the door and ran outside. It was pouring rain.

It quickly became apparent as we approached the radio tower: something big was happening there. I could almost feel the energy in the air and sense the many presences that awaited us there…

We rounded the last street and came to the edge of town. South –to our right- was the Ghost tower, standing imposingly on the edge of town like the leg of a purple giant. Right in front of us was the radio tower, its massive obnoxious pokeball-tip lighting the clouds with red and white.

And in front of the tower… three men and one woman surrounded by a writhing field of pokemon. They seemed to be mostly Normal and Electric in type; I saw sever Pikachu, Magneton, Voltorb, Raticate… I could go on and on. The men and woman were walking among them, pressing small green disks to their heads. As soon as the disk was pressed, it shattered and the receiving pokemon looked around alertly.

I recognized the disks: TMs, pretty hard to come by these days, but not unheard of. The question was, where did they get so many? I recognized the woman and the two grunts as being from the safe house we… visited. The other man was tall and lanky, wearing a black jumpsuit and sandals. His hair stood up off the top of his head like it had been electrified… or singed. I decided that all four of them were bad news, and Richard seemed to reach the same conclusion.

A pokeball flew into his had, and I took one of mine out as well. Dugtrio seemed a good choice… with that last thought, we rushed into the field.

(-o-)

It was all set. Rogan summoned his Ampharos, Chloe her Absol. Hade took complete control of his nano-bot pokemon. The storm was reaching its pinnacle; thunder boomed overhead, and great drum-beats of noise rolled over the field where the tower stood. The whole structure shook with surge of the wind and rain…

To Rogan, it was the true power nature revealing itself. The earth was telling him he was doing the right thing. Rogan smiled with self righteousness and gestured to Chloe.

As one, all three admins commanded: "Thunder!"

(-o-)

I was knocked to the ground by the force of the explosion. When I got up, I saw that hundreds of massive bolts of electricity were writhing into the air off the crowd of pokemon. The forest of thunderbolts struck the tower, filling it with charge. I could feel the static in the air. It made all my hair stand on end.

I stumbled up, saw Richard had fallen, and picked him up after me. We both summoned out pokemon, my Dugtrio and his Tangela, and looked back at the storm…

The tower was almost glowing with the electric charge that coursed through it. The pokeball light at the top was glowing like a lighthouse, so bright it almost hurt to look at. After a few seconds, the bulb in the pokeball could take it no more and it burst, showering plastic and glass down on the crowd of pokemon. No one even flinched; the attack continued.

"Dugtrio, Dig underneath them!"

Dugtrio obeyed, carving out a trench into which a group of pokemon fell; sparks still fizzled off their body even as they struggled up from the muddy earth. The rain was turning everything into slush and I had to keep wiping my glasses off in order to see.

"Vine Whip!" Tangela launched a menagerie of vines at the pokemon, wrapping some up and knocking some over. The admins had spotted us, and sent the grunts over to inspect us.

It was the same two from the safe house, and Richard and I had to turn our attention away from the pokemon charging the tower to fight.

A Kadabra appeared and sent Tangela sprawling with a Psybeam. Dugtrio popped up underneath it, knocking the psychic pokemon into the mud. Zubat swooped down, using Leech Life to drain away Dugtrio's health. The little bat clung onto Dugtrio like a lifeline, sapping away precious life.

My pokemon sent it flying with a Slash, followed by a quick Rock Tomb at Kadabra. Tangela struggled up on its little red feet and Constricted its psychic foe. Dugtrio attacked again with Rock Tomb, finishing it off.

Zubat fluttered around, occasionally launching a badly aimed wing attack at one of our pokemon, which usually flew far wide. Richard ended that fight as well, ordering the Vine Whip that brought Zubat thrashing to the ground.

Now we had the admins' attentions. Their pokemon detached from the crowd, which was quickly reforming its attack on the tower, and charged towards us, their trainers close behind. The girl looked at me, and the man at Richard, and we knew what was happening. We exchanged nods. Neither of us would back down; neither of us could lose.

"Who are you?" I managed to squeeze out before the pokemon reached us. I had to shout, and my voice sounded rather high-pitched over the wind, so asked again in lower tones.

The girl giggled, flourishing at her chest. "I guess I can tell you, since you won't leave here in one piece. _I_ am Air Admin Chloe, and my good man here is Fire Admin Rogan. Remember those names… they'll be the last you ever hear!"

With that, Absol leapt at my pokemon, swinging its black cheek-blade around for a Slash attack.

Dugtrio dove underground and countered with Dig; Absol barked in pain and was thrown into the air. Both pokemon came to level ground at the same time, and Absol launched a quick Razor Wind at us. The little tornado swirled toward Dugtrio, blowing him back and cutting him badly. Black oily blood dripped from a few small wounds, but it was nothing serious. Dugtrio fought on.

"Tri Attack!" He launched a glowing triangle at his foe, which was dodged, and Absol returned with another Razor Wind. This one his too, but it didn't slow us down. "Dugtrio, Rock Tomb!"

Absol black flipped to safety. Odd… Chloe didn't seem to be making any obvious commands. She wasn't even making hand signs… very strange. Absol used Slash again and I had Dugtrio use the same attack. Their blows glanced off each other, but I could see Dugtrio was weakening. "Tri Attack at close range!"

He launched the attack, but Absol got around it again with Double Team. The dark pokemon appeared behind Dugtrio, and with one last Slash, finished my pokemon. Absol looked up at me, rain matting down its fur. It howled chillingly. _Who's next?_

I called out Ivysaur. I could tell I'd need my best and brightest here.

"Ivysaur, Bullet Seed!"

The attack flew, too fast to follow with the eye, and pelted Absol back. The dark pokemon used Razor Wind, but Ivysaur sidestepped it, and tornado spun off into the distance to wear itself out. I used Razor Leaf in return, and connected again. I was having more luck this time, but I'd need more than that to win…

Absol moved too fast to follow, slamming into Ivysaur with a powerful Slash. There was now a cut in Ivysaur stomach that was bleeding badly. He'd survive, but we needed to end this fight fast.

"Hold him!" I ordered, and a pair of vines shot out, ensnaring Absol and lifting it into the air. It screeched and barked, but couldn't get at the vines with its blade. "Now Bullet Seed, one more time."

But the attack that came out wasn't Bullet Seed. At first, I thought Ivysaur was ignoring my orders, but instead… it had learned a new attack. A bead of pure green energy formed on its lips and flew at Absol like a laser blast. The dark pokemon screeched as it was caught in a brilliant green explosion. It fell to the ground, clearly fainted.

"Ivysaur?" I called, excited. "Was that Energy Ball?"

My pokemon cooed and nodded. I smiled at it, but knew it could last no longer. I returned Ivysaur; he had done well. Chloe looked shocked, and I smirked at her, turning up my head. Without missing a beat, she drew out another pokeball and summoned Drifblim, the pokemon I had seen before at her safe house. I swallowed. That wasn't good.

"Shadow Ball," I heard her murmur. Drifblim lumbered up into the air and launched a powerful Shadow Ball, straight at me. I dove to the side and the ghostly attack struck the ground behind me, forming a deep crater in the field. I heard the radio tower creak; something was beginning to happen. I saw Richard and his Ryhorn struggling against Rogan's Ampharos, and I hoped he was doing alright.

He should have had the advantage, but Rogan still seemed to be beating him… I swallowed with fear, but heard Chloe calling. "Get up you little brat! I'm not done with you yet!"

"No, but I think you're almost done!" I taunted, summoning Staryu. "Let's get this over with; wouldn't want you miss your facial appointment."

She looked genuinely surprised. "How did you know about that?"

I smirked back and said quickly, "Bubblebeam!"

A jet of bubbles pummeled Drifblim back. It made a groan like stretching fabric and floated back toward me. It released a strange black wind from an opening in its belly, Ominous Wind, I thought, that straggled toward Staryu. My pokemon spun into the air and fired off another burst of Swift stars before the Ominous Wind connected, bringing it to the ground.

"Recover," I told Staryu. It complied, its gem lighting up as it healed its own wounds.

"Shadow Ball!" screamed Chloe; she was starting to lose it when… the sky opened up.

I'm not even joking, the clouds parted evenly, just like in an old cartoon, and something huge and yellow glided down… I knew instantly what it was: the Legendary Bird Zapdos. The massive bird pokemon flew down, all spikes and sparks, and landed on the broken top of the radio tower. The electricity charging the tower now coursed into it, and it cried out with pleasure, spreading its yellow-black wings.

So that was their plan: use electric current on a massive scale like a giant magnet to lure in the granddaddy of all electric pokemon… to capture it? Sure, Zapdose was a legendary, and super powerful, but why else would the Storm's Eye want it? A new mascot?

Chloe's attention instantly turned from me to the legendary bird, and she called to Rogan.

His Ampharos was fainted on the ground, and he reached for another pokeball.

"Rogan!" she screamed over the wind and rain that had just gotten harder. "You get the bird, I'll handle the brats."

She called out a second pokemon, an Altaria, and attacked Richard's Ryhorn quickly. Rogan nodded and ran toward the tower. All of the Electrical pokemon ended their attack, and watched the pokemon hunter as he darted toward the tower. At once, his Magmortar was out and running with him.

He launched a Focus Blast at the tower, which hit just below Zapdose and knocked it off its giant perch. It screeched with anger and flapped down to the ground, where it could defeat its tiny foe more easily.

Zapdose used Drill Peck, with Magmortar stepped around and fired back with Flamethrower. Zapdose screeched angrily and fluttered back. A Thunder attack lanced through the air, but was blocked with Protect…

I almost became too enchanted with that battle to watch my own… Staryu was slammed head on by Altaria's Arial Ace, and I turned back. Richard had swapped out Ryhorn for Charmeleon. I guessed his Tangela had already fainted… we were running low on power now.

Both of Chloe's pokemon were attacking with surprising speed, and we countered as best we could. Richard landed a few powerful attacks, and I got a few more, but Chloe didn't care how much damage her pokemon took. She was only holding us off.

"I think that's enough for today, kiddies!" she finally called, jumping onto Altaria's back and returning her balloon pokemon. I could see why: Magmortar had leapt onto Zapdos and was bearing it to the ground. The legendary pokemon shrieked with terror. Its end was nearing…

Suddenly, all the wild pokemon gathered in the field woke from their mutual stillness and rushed the legendary like a living tide. They rose and fell over Zapdose, trapping it on the ground. The bird struggled, launching off volley after volley of electrical attacks that killed about half of the pokemon… still it couldn't get up. Richard and I ran toward it, hoping to help. The Stormies were too quick.

Altaria struck the ground just in front of us with a Dragonbreath attack, forcing us to dodge back. Richard slipped from a mixture of mud and exhaustion and I had to stop and help him up again…

Rogan threw a pokeball, which Magmortar immediately grabbed and returned to him. He smiled at Chloe and she nodded back, rising steadily into the sky. She flew strait up through the gap Zapdose had made in the clouds and vanished from view. The little patch of blue was starting to close, and Rogan was already running back to his helicopter, Zapdose in hand.

We ran after him, knowing if we could catch him, we could stop him. But we weren't fast enough: Rogan's pilot already had the rotors turning, and he took off just as we got near the landing site. The helicopter was starting to grow small in the distance when Richard looked at me.

"Well?"

"Well what? They got away."

"Not yet they haven't," said Richard, returning Charmeleon and calling out Fearow. I smiled and dug out the pokeball containing Casey' Pigeot. We chased Rogan's helicopter toward the horizon, and up, up, through the closing door of the clouds.


	16. Chapter 15: Into the Sky

Chapter 15: Into the Sky

**Chapter 15: Into the Sky**

Richard's Fearow and my borrowed Pigeot rose on thermals from the store. There was a sea of cloud below us, extending off in every direction like a field of snow. The air up here was odd… it chilled you from the outside, but when you breathed it in… a light, warm sensation filled you. The sun was bright enough to blind up here, so we both shielded out eyes.

We quickly realized we were up too high: it was hard to breath, and even Rogan's helicopter was far below us, skimming on the tops of the clouds. We dove to be closer to it, but were careful not to get close enough for the pilot to see us.

The only noise was the rush of the wind and maddening buzz of the helicopter.

With suddenness that surprised both of us, the chopper dropped beneath the clouds and vanished. Richard looked at me and motioned for us to follow. His Fearow dove after it, vanishing into the mist, and I went with him.

I was getting more used to the whole flying thing, and it was getting kind of nice… until we went into the clouds. My vertigo returned as I was consumed by grey. I took a deep breath and focused on following Richard. He was a few hundred meters ahead of me now.

And there it was: the Storm's fortress was surprising near us; it emerged from the clouds like a black iceberg. There was a massive, flying disk of metal and shadow hovering to our right. Hundreds of massive gas cells clung to the top like bloated spiders, and beneath these cells was the Iris, a gargantuan metal ring hanging in the air.

Towers and spires rose off it everywhere like iron fillings clinging to a circular magnet. Seeing this made me realize the Storm was… infinitely bigger than I had imagined. It all hit me then, that this was bigger than the Rockets, or Team Magma or Aqua or Galaxy.

The Storm's Eye had assembled a flying army.

(-o-)

Rogan climbed out of his helicopter to be confronted with Chloe and Hade. The three of them were an odd group, but they were all good friends. They exchanged happy congratulations for the victory at the radio tower. Rook, where he there, would have been extremely pleased.

Rogan took the two pokeballs containing his legendary prizes and began his long walk around the inner rim of the Iris, other admins in tow.

About a sixth of the way around the inner rim, Rogan came to a place where a metal stairway led down into the pupil (the Storm's nickname for the hollow center of their fortress). He took these stairs. At their end –about twenty feet down the inner wall of the ring- was a waist-high black podium. It appeared to be some sort of screen.

Rogan tapped the podium and it hummed to life, glowing bright blue and swarming with letters. He tapped in a sequence of numerals, and a new option came up. _Ready to Activate?_

_Yes._

Rogan typed the command, and the wall in front of the podium opened up. A pair of bay doors slid squeakily wide, and a metal ring, about twenty-five feet across, its band two feet thick, rumbled out. The admins watched the device unfold just beyond their safe platform. With a series of clicks, the rings unfurled; there were actually three connected rings, joined on moving pivots. They moved out, rotation, twisting, transforming… the three rings quickly came to define a sphere.

The pokeball containing Articuno was placed in a round opening on the bottom of the podium. Rogan waited. Every operative on the Iris watched Rogan's rings and waited. With a red flash, the legendary pokemon appeared inside the sphere, screaming in pain. It was a sad, frantic sound, but Rogan cackled. His device had worked.

All three rings began to turn slowly, a wall of solid energy connecting them; Articuno fluttered down and lay exhausted on the floor of the fore-field. Rogan whooped happily, and the cheer carried all around the Iris. Rogan smiled and headed for the next podium and set of rings.

(-o-)

Richard and spiraled around just above the Iris, planning. We healed our pokemon with a few Potions that I had before descending, which we did cautiously. Unfortunately, it wasn't cautious enough: the Storm's base had a defense system.

I had seen the shadowy forms of bird pokemon flitting about the spires and cloudy shroud of the Iris, but I thought they were wild. They seemed to be controlled by something, though. They moved with purpose, forming formations and coming at us.

They were Fearow, I counted seven, and very healthy… specimens. They were all freakishly large, and moved with frightening precision. Three headed for Richard and four for me.

I called to Pigeot over the roar of the passing wind, "Can you take them?"

The bird pokemon squawked an affirmative and spun about, launching a wing attack that the first Fearow flew straight into. It cawed back, but was knocked out of the air and flailed away through the clouds. The other three moved quickly around their falling foe and flew at me, beaks whirling with Drill Pecks.

Pigeot flew up quickly, getting above one of the birds, then dropping down and slashing it with its talons. Pigeot was probably more experienced then. Something told me it wasn't Casey's pokemon. Maybe jealousy? I wished I owned a pokemon this powerful…

The other two Fearow attacked at once, and Pigeot barrel-rolled around one and pushed it into its comrade. Then, to my surprise, it fired off a Hyper Beam after them, finishing them off for good. Now all the Fearow following me were gone, and Pigeot rose quickly on powerful wing beats. I patted it in thanks.

Richard was having less luck; his Fearow was having trouble fighting off its own kind. Pigeot helped him out with another amazing Hyper Beam, and then they sky above the Iris was clear of all wings but our own. We dove toward the south side of the massive flying ring, and Richard and I took our first steps onto the outer edge of the Iris.


	17. Chapter 16: Twin Escapes

Chapter 16: Escapes

**Chapter 16: Twin Escapes**

Rook focused on anything he could find: Will's tie, the doorknob, a fly on the ceiling… it was easier to create a link while in deep thought.

When Hade had invented the Spores, tiny metal probes that when attached to a pokemon's brain allowed mental control through a computer or voice command, all upper level Stormies had been required to inject their pokemon. Hundreds of wild pokemon were also captured and entered into the program. Most agents were happy to have their pokemon injected: it made them stronger, faster, more obedient. Rook wanted to take that further.

He had injected himself with spores that corresponded to each of his pokemon. He was mentally linked to them all, but distance increased the strain on the human. In this case, Rook. So he focused on his nearest pokeball, which sat with the others on a table next to his supervisor.

Will didn't notice anything odd about John Rook. He was just being silent. Rook had always been like that.

John Rook focused harder, and he felt his consciousness brush his pokemon. The pokeball shook, waking Will from his daydream. He stood up, setting his sleeping Espeon on the floor. It woke silently and stared at him with pearly eyes.

Will stood over Rook, looking in his one amber eye. "What's wrong Rook?" he taunted. "Straining at something? I know a thing or two about mental links, my friend, remember? I taught you how to connect to your brother. I guess I didn't teach you very well, because you went and got him killed. How does that feel…"

Will words were caught in his throat as a pleasant chime rang out from behind him. The Elite Four member froze; his pokemon yowled loudly. Rooks thoughts raced, sending commands and closing the link…

_Double Edge._

Behind Will, Rook's pokemon spun, smashing with its tail. The powerful Double Edge struck Will in the back, snapping his spine. Will's Espeon shrieked in pain as the trainer it shared a bond with died. Espeon fell limp to the floor, and Rook's pokemon came to face him. It was Azumarill, one of his first pokemon. They had been friends for a long time, and were now connected on an even deeper level.

Azumarill broke off his handcuffs with more Double Edge attacks, and Rook stood up, rubbing his chafed wrists. Rook gathered up his pokeballs. He nodded to Azumarill, and the two began to run.

He kicked open the door that led upstairs and ran up it; it lead to a hallway, presumably at the back of the gym. And unfortunately for Rook, there was someone else in it. Koga and Janine were walking toward him down the hall. They both looked shocked to see this man emerging from their basement, Janine more so than her father.

Koga pushed her behind himself and summoned his Muk in a flash.

Rook didn't budge; under his mask, he was smiling. He rolled up his sleeve on the device on his arm, which was already split where the Elite Four had examined it. Rook pressed his finger to a panel on the side, and the device opened like a metal flower.

The three individual shells extended on metal arms. Between them a sphere defined by three small metal circles; suspended in the middle was a globe of glowing blue light. Koga stared in surprise, wondering what this was. A little screen lit up on one of the shells and Rook tapped it.

With a whir and hiss, the blue sphere fired into Azumarill, and it was lit from within with a startling turquoise light. Its eyes glowed brightest of all, and just as quickly vanished. Rook whispered a command and began walking forward.

He took one step. Azumarill flared up its cheeks; Koga grabbed his daughter and began to run.

He took two steps. Rook's pokemon let loose a massive Hydro Pump attack that thundered down the hall like a mini waterfall. This was more powerful than any Hydro Pump attack though. Koga could see that. The water was tinged with light, and it was bigger… louder than any attack Koga had ever seen in his whole life.

Rook took a third step. Muk was completely destroyed; not just fainted, but completely washed away by the massiveness of the blast. Koga and Janine escaped the initial blast by rounding a corner, but as the Hydro Pump hit the end of the hallway, a wave of the excess water roared after them, carrying the two gym leaders away…

He took a fourth step, and then broke into a run. Rook stepped quickly past the two gym leaders, bowing as he did, and returned his Azumarill, who seemed vastly drained… he erupted out the front door.

Salamance leapt forth with a roar and Rook jumped lightly to its back… in a second, they were away, flying north into the night sky.

(-o-)

Richard and I landed quietly, attracting no attention whatsoever. From the echoes, it sounded like everyone was busy on the inner side of the ring. Just our luck. Maybe Casey would be ok and unguarded somewhere… or was that too much to hope?

Richard and I wandered deeper into the Iris, toward the center. We saw people in the distance (yeah, there's an "in the distance" on this thing) but they were always headed the other way and no one paid us any mind. Finally, Richard found a directory plastered to the wall. I guess the Iris was big enough that it needed its own directory. If you haven't quite grasped the size of this thing yet, I'm talking like the size of a shopping mall. A _flying_ shopping mall!

Maybe whoever's reading this has wrapped their mind around the unimaginable hugeness of where I what I was standing on. But for me, it was kind of difficult.

On the color-coded map on the wall, we found where we were. Upper deck, residential quarters. We were on the opposite side of the ring from the control towers and conference rooms. It looked like there was some sort of tram or mono-rail connecting everything. Below us was the mess hall, and past several hallways full of vaults and training gyms, was a block of the ring labeled "holding cells". That would be, if anywhere, where Casey would be.

Richard nodded at me, and the two of us jogged toward the nearest the stairwell, also labeled helpfully on the map.

I hit the stairs two at a time, racing down to the bottom. Richard was right on my heels, stepping painfully on them a few times. At the bottom of stairs, we each summoned a pokemon: Charmeleon and Staryu, and hurried on.

There was no one down there. Whatever was going on up on the deck was too important for anyone to be wasting their time in the holding cells… no, strike that. Richard and I came around the gargantuan curve of the Iris and spotted a red-clad guard standing in front of a corridor; a sleepy looking Cubone slumped on the floor next to him. Richard motioned for silence, and we ducked back around the bend. The guard noticed us though.

"Wilson? Is that you? Are they done up there?"

"No!" shouted Richard, before I could retort. "But you're about to be done down here. Metal Claw!"

Charmeleon leapt around the corner, slashing out with metallic hands, but Cubone had been alerted to his presence, leaping to dodge and Thrashing back.

"I don't know you," declared the man in the brief stalemate that followed. "So you sure as hell don't belong up here? How did you find the Iris?"

Richard didn't answer, but ordered a Flamethrower, blowing the Cubone back. It howled and wiggled its arms in pain as the flames licked its little body. I doused it with a Water Gun from Staryu, which coincidentally fainted it. The guard looked confused, angry, then scared. He turned to run, but Staryu hit him in the back of the head spinning and the man wiped out, falling flat on his face.

I checked to make sure he was knocked out, and we ran on, down the hallway he had been guarding. Suddenly, on our left, there were windows. We caught flashes of the outside as we darted past. I could see the clouds below, splitting slightly to reveal a forested flatland.

At the end of the hallway… I realized we must be on the inside of the ring now. The new corridor followed a tighter curve around the Iris. We chose I direction at random and walked down it, knowing we'd come full circle soon enough.

It wasn't long until we came onto anything of interest. Another quarter of the way around, and we came to the first holding cell. Through a wide sheet of glass, I could see a woman, probably in her late twenties. She was lying on the floor, filthy and cut, in a red dress and black leggings. I recognized her pretty quickly: it was the Saffron City gym leader, Sabrina.

I pointed her out to Richard, who just shrugged and wanted to keep moving, but I started searching for the release switch.

"Come on, man," said Richard, tugging at my shirt like a little kid. "We need to find Casey and get the hell out of here."

"Richard, we can't just leave her here. She'd our next gym challenge."

"There will be other gym leaders. Plus, how are we going to carry four people down from this stupid flying playhouse?"

That hadn't occurred to me. My mind had only gone as far ahead as finding Casey. Still, if we could just free Sabrina…

"Richard, who said 'the enemy of my enemy is my friend'?"

He shrugged. "No idea."

"I didn't really mean that as a question," I said, running back down the hall. I found the unconscious guard still lying on the floor. I searched his belt, found a ring of keys, and took it from him. Spinning the keys in my hand, I ran back to Richard.

Before he could protest, I started trying out the keys on the lock next to the glass window. Finally, one fit, and with a hiss, the window rolled up and vanished into the ceiling. Sabrina jumped up, instantly alert, ready for a fight…

"It's ok," I said quickly, motioning for her to be calm. "We're here to help."

(-o-)

Casey was sleeping. She could hear voices chatting faintly outside her cell, but she ignored it. That had become a common occurrence. It was the opening of glass that truly woke her. The soft escape of air was a new noise. She sat up quickly, rubbing off her eyes…

And the first thing she saw…

"Ian! Richard!" she jumped up, hugging them both at once. They both looked a little surprised, and happy. Most boys looked like that after their first real embrace from a girl their own age. She drew back to look at them and realized she was crying. "I knew you'd come for me"

Ian shrugged. "It's kind of what we do."

(-o-)

We ran down the hallway, introducing Casey and Sabrina as we did. We headed back the way we'd come, making sure the guard was still asleep. I returned Casey's stuff to her, and she took it gratefully. Finally, we were getting close to the stairway… when we heard a group of voices moving toward us.

"Don't know; he didn't answer his nav…"

"I don't see why we all have to go…"

"Hade said so. Quit whining!"

There were a few jeers and ring of feet on the metal floor. Richard gestured frantically, sending us sprinting back down the hallway as quietly as we could. We would've kept running if Sabrina hadn't silently pointed out a door on our left that we dodged towards; it was locked, but the guard's key opened it easily. Sabrina hadn't spoken yet, but the gym leader was proving her value quickly. Once we were behind the door, she stood next to it, hands pressed to her temples.

After a few minutes, she announced: "They found the guard knocked out and their waking him up. In a few minutes, everyone on the Iris will know we have escaped."

"How do you know?" asked Richard. We were in some sort of dimly lit room, and I began searching for a light switch.

"She's a psychic. She can sense it," Casey explained.

"Do you know her?"

"No, but any trainer worth his salts knows that; Sabrina runs a psychic gym; her whole family has a heritage of spiritualists and mediums." Casey nodded primly.

"That's right," whispered Sabrina with a smile.

"Yeah," I added. Time to mock him a little. "Didn't you know?"

Richard shot me a dirty look, and I finally found the light switch. With the lights on, we could finally relax. I looked around at the room we had found ourselves in. It was cavernous, white, and…

"Whoa," muttered Richard. He walked toward the huge mounds of money that filled the room. "The Storm's loaded!"

It wasn't just crates of money that were stacked against the walls. There were dozens of evolutionary stones in a glass case on the wall and Game Corner chips in set of bins. Richard was right, and that wasn't the only thing worrying me: if the Storm had all this money, and all these troops… why had so few people heard of them.

I looked over at Casey, about to voice my thoughts, but she gave me a tired smile and decided not to. For now.

She hugged me and wiper off her cheek with her wrist. "I'm so glad you came. I was starting to worry…"

"You shouldn't have worried," I told her quietly. I wanted to put my arm around her or something, but decided to stroke her upper arm instead. She looked at me strangely for a moment then smiled again. "We had to come for you."

"But now that we have," said Richard, "We're not sure what to do. Well, escape obviously, but I don't know how."

"We need to go soon," said Sabrina. "Those guards will alert the admins that there's an intruder and we'll be found. But we should have a few minutes. We should use them to rest."

I nodded. We let out all of our pokemon to make sure everyone was there. The room became a little crowded, but it was good to see everyone still in good shape. The slash on Ivysaur's stomach had healed with a little spray from a Potion, good as new. Sabrina didn't have any pokemon with her, but explained that when she had been captured, her pokemon had been back in her gym. She knew they were waiting for her there.

Sabrina focused again, placing her fingers on her temples. She did a mental sweep of the hallway outside and found no one there.

We returned all of our pokemon, switched off the lights, and ran out into the hallway.

(-o-)

Hade pulled on his helmet and quickly scanned through the cameras all over the Iris. It wasn't long until he found what he was looking for: two young boys, a girl of the same age, and slightly older woman, all running quickly down a hallway. It was very near where the group of grunts he'd sent to check on the guards had reported finding a KOed comrade.

Hade took off the helmet and replaced it on a hook beneath his green cape. He looked at Rogan, who had just set Zapdos in its force-cage and was basking in the cheers of the Storm's Eye.

"Rogan," said Hade quietly. "The children that tried to intervene at the Radio tower are here, and they've freed both of the prisoners."

Rogan looked surprised and glared at his fellow admin. With a sigh, he gestured for Chloe to follow him, Rogan followed Hade toward the other side of the ring.


	18. Chapter 17: Evolution

Chapter 17: Evolution

**Chapter 17: Evolution**

The four of us ran up the stairway Richard and I had descended down earlier… only to be confronted by three people. I recognized two of them as Chloe and Rogan. The third man looked like he'd one first place in a plant-cosplay contest. He even had a flower-head. I almost laughed, but managed to contain it. They all looked pretty angry.

"You again?" asked Chloe. "Curious little birds shouldn't fly too high. You might… just… fall…"

I saw her whisper something and read her lips: "_Solar Beam_".

"Run!" I shouted, and the others began moving. We ran back down the stairs just as a green-yellow beam of light fired at the spot we had just been, scorching the ground. I looked back to see three pokemon… they must've been hiding on the other side of the stairway, just behind us.

There was the Magmortar from before, a Politoed, and a huge Golem. I wasn't sure who was controlling each one, except for the Magmortar, which I knew belonged to Rogan. I turned back to my friends and ran after them down the hall.

We passed a group of grunts, pushing quickly by and continuing to run. I could here the pokemon chasing us, their trainers presumably behind them. Richard led us down a new path, trying to find another stairway. He thought he was leading us to the upper deck… but instead we found a way down, and took it, not knowing what else to do.

At the bottom of the ramp that led down, I looked back once more to see Richard standing there, his Charmeleon out and standing next to him. He looked concerned, but still determined.

"Keep going Ian. Get the girls outside. I'll come along in a few minutes."

"No way," I said, summoning my Lickitung. "I'm going to help…"

"Just get going!" shouted Richard. "I'm only going to hold them back. I'll be right there, seriously. You know I mean it, Ian."

I was completely unsure… the girls had run on, and Casey was a strong trainer. Richard needed me… but something told me he had an idea. I nodded and ran on.

(-o-)

Richard turned back to the three pokemon. They were all standing there, almost in a perfect line. Their trainers were behind them. Richard swallowed, hoping his plan would work.

"Tell me," shouted the man dressed like a plant. Weirdo. "How did you get mixed up in this, my young friend? With pokemon like that, you would quickly gain rank in the Storm's Eye."

"I'm with Ian, thanks," said Richard, nodding at Charmeleon. Without answering Hade any further, Richard shouted: "Flamethrower, strait down!"

Charmeleon shot flames down into the floor, melting a hole in the metal grating. With a cheery salute at the admins, Richard jumped down, calling his pokemon after him. He turned and ran in the directing of Ian and the girls, hoping they had found safety…

He passed the ramp his friends had descended a minute before, now at the bottom, and was stopped in his tracks. A boulder rolled down the ramp and slid in front of Richard, blocking his escape. The green man jumped down and landed next to the boulder pokemon, which unfolded from its stone shell. The other two admins ran down the ramp and followed Ian and the girls through the hall.

The green man smiled. "You'll regret that little move, kid." He whispered a command to his pokemon, and Golem's stomach opened up and a rock fired out.

Richard and Charmeleon dodged, and the rock flew down the hall and impaled itself in a wall. Richard attacked back with a series of fast Metal Claws. Golem covered its head with its arms, and the metal attacks bounced off with little pings. The rock pokemon then lunged forward, grabbing at Charmeleon. The two grappled, arm on arm, but Golem won, pushing Charmeleon back and slamming it into a wall.

The fire pokemon groaned, but finally stretched and jumped away from the wall; it had left a dent there were it had been slammed. Golem tried another Rock Blast, this time hitting Charmeleon. It yelped in pain and fell back onto the metal floor. Golem stalked forward to finish its foe.

"Flamethrower!" Charmeleon launched a jet of fire straight into Golem's face. It rolled into a tight ball and back off, afraid of the extremely hot flames.

Charmeleon took advantage of this, leaping up and striking out with Metal Claw again. Golem rolled further back to escape, but Richard could see what it was really doing. It began rolling in place, then launched down the hall in a fast Rollout, but Richard was ready.

"Seismic Toss!" he shouted, and Charmeleon stepped to the side of the oncoming Golem.

The fire pokemon grabbed onto its foe and with massive strength, swung it around and hurled it into the air. Golem unrolled mid-fall and roared with anger, only to be pelted with another Flamethrower.

And suddenly, a bright light filled the hall. It took Richard a second to realize where it was coming from: his Charmeleon. Hade too looked shock, and stumbled back, urging his injured pokemon to follow. With a burst of light and color, a fully grown Charizard appeared in the hallway. Richard grinned and started laughing. He ran up and hugged his precious pokemon, so glad that it had finally evolved.

He looked at Hade, who was starting to run away himself. Richard wanted to finish off the man, but knew that his friends were more important. He saluted again, this time in mock seriousness, and ran off down the hall, his Charizard gliding along beside him.

(-o-)

I stumbled around a corner, following Sabrina, and pulled Casey after me. I wanted to look back for Richard and make sure he was alright, but that might give away our position… I could hear footsteps, two sets, so if Richard was coming, he was bringing company. I knew we couldn't wait here any longer.

Sabrina shook her head. It wasn't Richard. The three of us continued down the short corridor we had just entered; it ended not far away with a little metal door. I tried the guard's keys and one opened it. The three of stepped through, and…

…Outside. We were sanding on a long, wide platform that seemed to be suspended below the Iris. The grating here was wider than it had been above: we could see through the thing clouds and forest below.

A quick look around told me that we were in some sort of landing bay for the Storm's aircraft. There were those weird little aircraft that had brought those grunts to me and Richard back in Fuchsia. I didn't see Rogan's helicopter anywhere, so he must've landed on some upper level of Iris. The landing area stretched halfway around the ring of the Iris, ending just behind us at a door as well as at a similar place on the opposite side.

Lickitung was sitting next to me, panting softly. We all took a quick rest, not knowing what to do next. Maybe go back for Richard… part of me said we should leave the Iris, but we couldn't leave Richard here… my thoughts were cut off by some sort of annoying noise.

Lickitung.

The little guy seemed to be choking on something. He had developed a bad habit of eating anything he could get his tongue around, but there didn't seem to be anything around that he could eat. I pried his mouth open and crouched to look inside.

I was looking for something like a wrench, or maybe some chain or something… instead, Lickitung coughed up a roll of shiny new coins. I instantly recognized them from the armory where we had hidden.

Casey and Sabrina were now looking on him with interest too. I pulled his mouth further open, and Lickitung spit out more things he had swallowed. Two pokeballs (one with something in it; I'd check what later), another role of coins, and three oddly-shaped stones. Two were transparent, one blue-ish, one yellow-ish, and the third was white and opaque. I looked at Casey. She smiled devilishly back.

(-o-)

Richard ran down the hallway in search of his friends. they must've waited somewhere… he heard a few footsteps on the metal grating around the Iris's curve just ahead of him and put on more speed to catch up.

He rounded the bend and almost crashed into Rogan and Chloe, both of their pokemon alert and facing him. Richard swallowed again. Here, his Charizard was at a severe disadvantage. The fire pokemon growled at its foes, but showed no sign of wanting to back down.

"Spark!"

"Ice Beam!"

A yellow blur shot past Richard, colliding with Politoed and sending him sprawling in a burst of sparks. Magmortar was hit right in the chest, covering it in ice crystals which it flexed off. The two admins looked up in surprise.

Richard risked a glance over his shoulder and saw Ian and Casey beaming at him, Sabrina right behind them. Standing next to Casey was the tall blue form of a Nidoqueen, and Richard looked back at the yellow blur and discovered it was in fact a Jolteon. It still had the same cute smile as it had had as an Eevee, but evolution had changed the little pokemon. It was covered in shiny yellow spikes, and its face was sharper and smarter looking.

With a rumble, Hade and his Golem approached from the back. The three kids and the gym leader grouped together, surrounded by their pokemon. The admins closed in…

(-o-)

We looked at each other, deciding who would take who. I would focus on Politoed, due to the type advantage; Casey would Golem, and Richard, Magmortar.

"Spark again!" I called. Now I only had eyes for my Jolteon, and Chloe's pokemon.

Jolteon leapt forward, its body fizzing with sparks again, but this time Politoed dodged. It struck back with a water gun that washed Jolteon down the hall. She got back up easily though, shaking the water droplets off her sharp fur. I continued my attack with Pin Missile, which Politoed tried to shield with its arms. The little yellow needles stuck though, obviously bothering the water pokemon.

"Bite!"

Jolteon rushed her foe, feinting to the left, then jumping over Politoed and biting it from behind.

"One more Spark!" Jolteon let a final burst of electricity go, frying Politoed. The frog pokemon fell over, fainted.

Chloe looked shocked. She stopped her foot like a spoiled kid and returned her pokemon. She quickly summoned another one, the Absol I had fought before. This time, I knew how to face it.

"Pin Missile," I ordered. Jolteon fired a volley of needles at her foe, but Absol knocked the projectiles away with a sweep of its blade. It then rushed forward, Slashing at Jolteon, who dodged upward to counter with Bite. Another Pin Missile blew the dark pokemon away.

There was one more attack that I hoped Jolteon had kept when it evolved. "Trump card, Jolteon!"

Luckily, the card of light still formed in the air and spun slowly at Absol. The dark pokemon started to move, but was struck by the attack; the card shattered loudly, dealing a good amount of damage.

Absol howled angrily and Slashed Jolteon up close, doing a lot more damage. Jolteon looked at me painfully, and I nodded, returning it. I summoned my other newly evolved pokemon… Starme leapt from its pokeball, rear star spinning with anticipation.

Starme had another new move I wanted to try… "Starme, use Power Gem!"

A red pulse of light fired out of Starme's gem, blasting Absol back. I attacked again with Bubblebeam, but Absol moved quickly around it and launched a Razor Wind straight into Starme's center. It chimed angrily, but didn't want to retire yet. I ordered another Rapid Spin and knocked Absol into its trainer, finishing the pokemon and distracting the girl.

I looked around the check on the others. Casey was doing well against Golem, her Nidoqueen matching it blow for blow, but Richard wasn't doing as well. Magmortar was beating up on his… Charizard. I hadn't even noticed that Charmeleon had evolved, but he needed help.

"Bubblebeam!" another jet of bubbles fired at Rogan's pokemon, but it was too quick: it defended with Protect.

Richard glared at me jealously. "Hey, I didn't ask for your help. I can handle this guy, just…"

Magmortar struck Charizard in the wing, making it roar with anger. I decided I'd still help, just a little bit…

"Confuse Ray," I whispered to Starme, hoping Richard wouldn't here.

A dark cloud of energy spiraled out its gem, but the attack was stronger than expected. It filled that half of the hall, affecting Magmortar, Charizard, and… Richard. My friend barely managed to return his pokeball before he slumped to the floor.

"Floss harbinger!" he mumbled, rolling into a ball. "Floss harbinger and spade."

Case finished off the Golem, sending its trainer running to join his fellow Admin. She ran over to join me, looking at Richard strangely as he ordered her to bake him a cake.

"I accidentally… confused him." Luckily, Magmortar was confused too. Its arms flailed about stupid and it hit a few walls in its madness. Rogan returned it with a sigh and all three of the admins drew new pokeballs. I ran through a list of swears in my head but none seemed to his.

Our element of surprise/luck seemed to have run out, so we went to plan B: run for it.

Starme left a black cloud of Confuse Ray behind us to hinder their passing, and with Sabrina and I dragging a babbling Richard, we ran out onto the landing bay.

I locked the door behind us with the guard's keys, hoping it would hold up the admins for a few more minutes. We made our way around the landing area, trying to think of what to do. We could let out Charizard (hope it was no longer confused), Fearow, and Pigeot and fly away… that seemed like the best option, but it would be hard without Richard commanding his pokemon…

I could hear leathery wing-beats through the clouds. Fighting my urge to run the deck, I ordered Starme to be ready with another attack. Casey's Nidoqueen tensed, then cried out with fear as a dragon rose up from the sky below us and landed on the deck a few feet away. I recognized the dragon, as well as its rider, at once.

It was a Salamance, and on its back was John Rook.


	19. Chapter 18: Falling Fast

Chapter 18: Falling Fast

**Chapter 18: Falling Fast**

Rook looked at me with his pale amber eye. He didn't seem very surprised to see me there, but there was no reason for him not to be surprised, so I figured it was a façade to make me scared. I wouldn't let it get to me…

But this was trouble. I had sworn to kill Rook, but… I don't know. I don't think I ever meant to fight him this soon. I wasn't ready yet. There was no chance of my beating Rook today… but how else could we escape? Rook stepped off his Salamance and turned to face us. Casey's Nidoqueen quailed, and Richard flopped on the floor, still spouting nonsense.

"You children," said Rook slowly, "have become quite a nuisance as of late."

I shrugged, trying to keep from breaking down into a whimpering little ball. _This is the guy that killed Matt_. It was only that thought that kept me from giving up and letting him end me too. Casey made a little noise and shrank beside me. I think I felt her hand on my arm, but whether to comfort me or her, I wasn't sure.

"Well, we'll just be leaving then. Get out of your way…"

"I am he, as you are me, as you are he, and we are all together!" sang Richard badly. I swatted the back of his head, hoping he'd just shut up. Rook feinted a laugh and whispered something behind his mask.

Salamance eased around Rook on the metal deck so that's monstrous head was to us. Its mouth opened, and I saw a glow emit from its throat. It was charging; we only had a few seconds left.

I grabbed Casey and Richard, one in each arm, and yanked them to the right. Sabrina appeared beside me, helping to lift Richard, and in a second, all three of us had clambered up on the safety rail around the landing bay.

The Hyper Beam launched… I saw the white blast of light flying towards us, blindingly bright. I shoved the others down over the edge of the deck and slipped after them. I felt the back of my jacket split open from the heat, and the acrid smell of burning hair filled the air. I passed out as I fell, knowing that I probably wouldn't wake up for some reason or another.

(-o-)

Rook raised an eyebrow in surprise. He walked slowly over to the edge of the deck and peered down into the clouds below. He saw no falling bodies… so that meant one of two things: they'd hit the ground and been turned into bloody pancakes, or they'd somehow miraculously survived. Rook decided it wasn't worth his time then. If Ian and little friends would rather run away from Rook then fight, then they weren't strong enough to face him.

And the odds were that they wouldn't be too soon.

Suddenly, three of his admins burst through the door to Rook's left. They looked almost as surprised to see Rook as they did to see their prey gone. Hade bowed slightly and stepped forward first.

"My lord, Rook," said Hade. "We knew you would soon return to us. It is a pleasure to have you back, and might I say…"

"Quit the pleasantries Hade, I know you liked being in charge while I was gone. I'll see to it that it never happens again." Rook chuckled coldly, and Hade smiled, his eye nervous rather than happy. "Now, to business, my friends. Tell me: how have endeavors faired?"

(-o-)

Ian fell limply past Casey in the air. She grabbed his arm and shook him, trying to wake him up. Suddenly, they hit the clouds, and everything went white. Casey finally realized what Ian had done.

"You threw us off the Iris?" she screamed suddenly, but the wind snatched her voice away. Ian remained unconscious, floating next to her.

Just below them, Sabrina and Richard were falling, the gym leader trying to spread out their bodies so they didn't fall as quickly. Casey did the same, and tried to flatten out Ian's body as well so they created more drag.

Suddenly, there were two bright flashes from below, and Casey saw Charizard and Fearow appear below them, sweeping Sabrina and Richard out of their fatal fall. Casey fumbled for her Pigeot, only to realize that she was…

The ground shot up towards her, and Casey braced for the final impact, her face screwing up, her eyes shut so she wouldn't have to witness her own death…

Someone else hit the button on Pigeot's pokeball, and when Casey tentatively opened her eyes, she saw… brown feathers. She looked over at Ian, who smiled weakly before blacking out again. She put her arm over his shoulder and hauled him further onto the pokemon's back. She urged her Pigeot forward to catch up Richard and Sabrina, and together, the four of them headed west, away from the Iris.


	20. Chapter 19: Empty House

Chapter 19: Dead Man's House

**Chapter 19: Empty House**

The first time I opened my eyes… I didn't absorb much. As soon as realized that the light I was seeing wasn't a dream, my brain started working out possibilities as to what it could be. Since I was probably dead, I responded accordingly, checking off the list of places I could be…

Let's see: no clouds (not Heaven), no brimstone and howls of the eternally damned (not Hell), I didn't seem to be any sort of animal, pokemon, or baby (not reincarnated), and there weren't lots of angry Vikings screaming at me (not Valhalla; oh well, I can hope, right?).

Those were my main options, so, chances were I wasn't dead. I was in room, painted some sort of pale orange that only old people would choose. There was window with blinds drawn on the wall behind me and lamp next to my… bed. Ok, so I was in a bed. That discounted the possibility of being a Storm captive. Ok, not in any immediate danger.

I fainted with happiness.

(-o-)

I woke up again on what I came to understand was the next morning. As my eyes blinked into focus, I took in the same orange room, this time brighter, with the windows open. I could hear the rush of the sea outside, so I was probably near a beach. I struggled out of bed, marveling at home much my back hurt. I was still fully clothed, I realized.

I stumbled over the window and looked out. It was so bright that I had to shield my eyes for a few moments before I could see… the sea. The house I was right on the beach. There seemed to be some sort of porch off to the right of window, and we were pretty far off the ground… either second-story, stilts, or hill… actually, _and_ a hill. The sharp, salty breeze from the ocean curled through the window, ruffling my hair which was getting too long. I absorbed the sound of a radio playing an unfamiliar tune nearby.

The door opened behind me, and turned to see… Casey. So she was here too. That was very good. She smiled and ran over to hug me, hurting my back again. I smiled and patted her back.

"Good to see you're finally awake," she said, guiding me back to the bed and ordering me to sit back down. Her smile was bright and contagious; the light from outside made her hair look like liquid copper. "I was wondering how long you would be out, but Sabrina said you'd wake up soon, so I wasn't too worried."

"So… what's happened since I passed out? I think I got too close to that Hyper Beam, and the heat… I'm not sure after that. Where are we?"

"Ok, in that order," said Casey, smiling again. "A lot happened. And we're in Pallet Town, at my grandpa's old house."

"Oh," I felt the bed below me uneasily. Had it been his bed? Had I just recovered in the bed of a dead man?

"I'll try to explain: ok, so after you passed out, Sabrina and I managed to get out all the flying pokemon we had and pull out of that free fall you put us in before we became human pancakes. We started flying south, planning on going to Fuchsia, but Sabrina thought that it would be too obvious of place to go to since we had just come from there. Saffron was also off the list. We needed somewhere to lay low for a while, and I suggested here."

"Is Sabrina still here?"

Casey shook her head. "She left yesterday. And just so you know, you were out cold for two days, if you don't count today. It's still morning." Two whole days… wow. A lot must've been happening since then, not just in this house, but everywhere. What was the Storm up to? What was Rook up to…?

"But she did leave a thank you gift," Casey continued, pointing at the floor by feet. Next to the bed were my backpack, belt and pokeballs stacked on top of it, and next to that was clean new Soul Badge. I smiled and picked it up, examining the pretty golden ring. I set in my Badge Case with the others and turned back to Casey.

"Please continue," I told her.

"Once we got here and decided we weren't being followed, we all slept… some of us longer than others," she added with a laugh. I nodded modestly. "The next morning, Richard woke up grumpy and a little less confused and he and I went to get food and tell Beech I was back in town. Sabrina took care of you, and when we got back, she thanked us and left on the next bus.

"Since then… not much has happened. We've waited around for you to wake up. Beech comes by for meals –which he usually brings; he's not totally pathetic- and he examined you too and said you just needed rest… and here we are."

She smiled and folder her arms behind her back. She was wearing shorts and t-shirt now, more appropriate for being so near the beach.

"Can I see the rest of the house?" I asked.

"Sure," she said with another big smile. Casey took my hand without hesitation and dragged me out the room where I had spent the last two days.

(-o-)

The Storm's Eye had been very busy indeed.

With the return of their hero- Rook, and the capture of the first two Legendary Birds, the minor breech of two days prior was quickly forgotten. But not by the admins. They had suffered defeat the hands of three mere children… all three were ashamed, and glad Akila was not there to chide them.

Akila was on another mission entirely. She traversed the many caves and dark pits of Victory Road. The final trial of most trainers posed little challenge to her, and Akila was going farther down than any trainer had ever gone… and she was searching for something few would expect to find, especially underground.

She passed down great, winding paths of stone over water blacker than night and fire hotter than anything known in the world above. Akila seemed affected by neither: her dress slid cleanly along the rocky floor, its deep blues contrasting the grey and brown of stone and orange of magma around her.

After coming through a long path of absolute darkness, a yellow light appeared in the distance… she smiled at the far away light and drew a pokeball. She whispered to headset resting on her cheek.

"I am in his lair, sir."

(-o-)

Rook sat, head in hands in his private study. The walls were paneled with dark red wood, quite a luxury aboard a flying fortress. A dark screen lay blank against one wall, and an empty fireplace against the other. Rook sat in a swiveling chair at a modern desk, papers sprawled on every available surface.

He read over them again and again… it was all fitting everything was fitting. And the Hermes didn't seem to have even picked up on it yet. Yes, he was going perfectly, and the call from Akila had perfected the moment; the Iris was directly over Victory Road. It was time…

But there was something still bothering Rook. Ian Cartright, that infernal boy, had as much potential for greatness as his brother. He was certainly as resourceful as Matt, may he rest in peace. Rook thought about his old friend… there had been a time when he and Matt were not enemies, but as Rook had discovered, time did not heal: it corrupted.

(-o-)

It was a really nice house. My room was south side of the hall, along with the spare room where Richard was staying and Casey's room. A bathroom and the door to the rest of house were across the hall. Beyond that door was the kitchen connected to a den and formal dining room.

The front door the house opened to a cul-de-sac at the top of a steep hill. A door in the south wall of the den led out onto the porch at the back, and down the beach via a long stairway. Richard was down in the sand with his pokemon. He had a pretty good team going, especially with his new Charizard.

The fire pokemon was blasting Flamethrowers at a metal disk Richard was hurling into the air. Tangela retrieved the disk each time, picking it up with prehensile vines and returning to its trainer.

After a brief greeting (Richard was happy to see me up; I guess he didn't know I was the one who hit him with confuse ray…), I let my pokemon out as well, and so did Casey. It was a massive group, but everyone seemed to be getting along well. We hung out on the beech for a while, enjoying the morning on the beach. A few people with their pokemon jogged past and most knew Casey. Pallet was a pretty small town. She always smiled and waved back sincerely.

We had lunch with Professor Beech, who didn't seem to recognize Richard and I from when we received out pokemon from him; he must've given away pokemon every day though, so it wasn't likely that he would.

He gave the three of us a tour of his lab, throughout which Casey seemed supremely bored, but was actually pretty bored. The building sat on another hill on the north-western edge of Pallet town, with a windmill in the front, and in the back… any certified trainer from Kanto who had caught more than six pokemon had their spares stored here. Different artificial biomes were set up in the valley behind the lab, with forests, artificial boulders, an ice-cave, and a massive lake as just a few of the features.

Pokemon frolicked everywhere, most from Kanto but many from other parts of the world. They seemed to have grouped together by type, and the little clans milled about, eating, playing, running, and sleeping. Beech's own pokemon were out there somewhere as well, and they came to him when he led us out into the pasture: a Scyther, Marill, and Venemoth.

He seemed really nice; Richard and I found ourselves talking unguardedly with the Professor. He seemed happy to talk about almost any intelligent subject, but Casey hung back for the most part, patting and playing with the pokemon that passed us by.

She had told me earlier that Beech was her legal guardian, but that she didn't get along with him. He was supposed to replace her grandfather… and no one could do that.

We went home that evening, and for the first time, I noticed something very odd about Casey's grandpa's house: sitting beside it, in the shade of a little green grove, was a massive Blastoise shell. I nudged Casey and pointed to the shell, and she just laughed lightly.

"Oh, I forgot about that. That's grandpa's Blastoise. His name is Sebastian; Gramps always like to name his pokemon. Thought it gave them character." Thinking about her grandfather made her grow quiet and calm, and she bumped into me as we walked. Richard put a hand on her shoulder, and I suddenly wished I'd thought of that. "I think he's dead, actually. Sebastian, I mean, not Grandpa. I was meaning to check on the poor guy… I guess I'll do it the morning."

She yawned epically and skipped inside. Richard and I nodded at each other; we were still friends, despite everything. It was good to know I still had someone to rely on and talk to. We skipped on dinner –we were all too tired- and went to bed.

It was good to finally be safe I know I've said that before, but then it was really, really true. I really was safe there. For the entire Storm knew we were dead. But then again, I'd fooled Rook with that once before… I wasn't sure I'd trick him again…

There was a knock at my door. I told whoever it was to come in, and Casey pushed the door open and stood on the threshold.

"Ian," she said; she sounded worried. "There's one more thing I need to tell you."

I got out of bed and walked over toward her. What was going on… was this… part of me thought were about to kiss, but that wasn't quite it. "What's up?" I asked calmly, moving toward her.

"Ian, when you got us off the Iris… well, you didn't get off unscathed."

"What do you mean?" Nothing seemed injured. The only thing that hurt was my back, and I figured that that was just from a rough day and rougher landing… then I realized something: when I woke up that morning, I was wearing different clothes than I had the day we left the Iris. What had happened to the others…?

"Take off you shirt," she said, turning her back modestly. I did, looking at the smooth red back of her hair. "There's a mirror in the bathroom…"

I ran past Casey, trying not to push her and stormed into the bathroom. I turned my back to the vanity mirror… there was a massive red scar running down my back, right over the spine. It was a rough stripe, dark red and irritated. I stared at it in shock. I had always been proud of my back, since I used to be on a swim team and it was always strong, but… how had it…

"When you pushed us off, the Hyper Beam passed right over your spine. It split open the back of you shirt and pants, so we had to change your clothes… I had Richard do it, don't worry. And… Ian, I'm so sorry."

She stepped forward and placed a hand on my spine. It felt cool against the irritated skin. I didn't know how I could have missed it before… Casey must've had Beech give me something to dull the pain. I didn't blame her for not telling me sooner… I didn't know how I would've told myself that either.


	21. Chapter 20: Out of the Shell

Chapter 20: Out of the Shell

**Chapter 20: Out of the Shell**

The sun woke me the next morning, shining through the open window. I had fallen asleep to the beat of the ocean, worrying about my back. There didn't seem to be anything wrong with it other than the scar… but the scar was kind of scary. Really scary.

I got up and dressed myself before heading into the kitchen for breakfast. Casey and Richard had brought in cereal and eggs, and I helped myself to the former. Casey walked in from the front door and smiled at me; ever since we came back to Pallet, she seemed to be a lot happier. Maybe she was just glad to be alive and out of that terrible little cell in the Iris.

"Beech came by to check up on Sebastian. Turns out he's still alive, just hiding…" I nodded. Ok, so what? "There's something I've been thinking of. Ok, Rook's Salamance: there's something stronger about it then just having a good trainer. It's a really high caliber pokemon, so we'll need a really strong pokemon if we want to fight it."

I thought about this. "So Sebastian is really that strong?"

"He and my grandpa won the Indigo League tournament and reigned as Champions for six years. Sebastian is one of the strongest pokemon there is. Richard's still asleep, so… will you come help me wake up Sebastian?"

"Uh… I guess." I really wasn't sure what else to say or do, but I had a bad feeling about this… I wasn't sure why. I finished my breakfast and called out Ivysaur before following Casey out onto the front lawn.

The shell sat singly on the grass, which had started to grow up around it where it couldn't be cut. It looked lonely, just sitting there in the sun. Sebastian's trainer had died, but still he lived on… it must've been a little painful for him. His best friend dead… I looked down at Ivysaur, who nodded back eagerly. He could tell something was about to happen too.

Casey went straight up to the shell and rapped on the front by (what I assumed was) the head-hole. She peered inside the dark hole, and then vanished from sight as she walked around to the other side of the shell. Sebastian was facing the sea, his head away from me, but behind the big pokemon, I could see things Casey couldn't.

Casey stuck her head into Sebastian's shell. She called for him softly, "Hey big guy. You remember me? It's Casey. Casey, remember? You remember grandpa, right?"

I heard a guttural growl from deep within the shell, and Casey giggled nervously.

"That's alright, it's me, remember?" She reached one arm into the head-hole to stroke the Blastoise. "Yeah, that's right. You know me, doncha?"

I saw it then; it was a good thing it was standing behind the shell. With a little click, two panels on the back of Sebastian's brown shell popped open, and two fat grey cannons slid out…

"Vine Whip! Get her out of there, Ivysaur!"

My pokemon's vines shot out, this time to save, not harm. The vines looped around Casey's waste and pulled her back towards me… just as a powerful jet of water erupted from one cannon, denting the ground where Casey had just been standing.

The shell rotated around, sliding away from us, and Sebastian unfolded. His indigo arms and legs came out, and he stood, and finally, Sebastian's big, turtle head appeared; his eyes were deep brown and bloodshot. There were dark markings on his head and arms, and I wondered whether they were from old age or if Sebastian was special. He glared at us, to Casey's obvious surprise, and lowered his head as if her were going to…

I grabbed Casey shoulders and hurried her to the side. I guess Sebastian was slow after being cooped up in his shell for the past three months… how had he survived? Maybe he went out at night to eat. Regardless, he seemed to be slightly confused at having been awoken, like he expected to die in there. His attack was slow and badly aimed, a poor Skull Bash that carried him into the empty cul-de-sac.

Sebastian stumbled up and turned to face us. His cannons lowered; he seemed to be coming out of his confused fog. I knew this time he wouldn't miss. I looked at Ivysaur, who immediately charged up an Energy Ball, but Casey motioned for me to stop.

She stepped forward, in front of the attack, and spoke up to her grandfather's pokemon.

"Sebastian," she said, her voice much firmer this time. "I need your help. There's a man who grandpa hated and he hated him back. They were big enemies, and now the bad man's still causing trouble. Grandpa wanted me to stop him, but I need your help to do that. Will you listen?"

The gurgle of water that had been rising from inside Sebastian's cannons calmed and vanished. He bowed his head and calmly stepped forward. The Blastoise trudged up and knelt in front of Casey; whatever anger that had possessed him before was now gone. Casey pulled out a pokeball, old and dusty with a water-droplet symbol painted on the front. She clicked the button on the front, and Sebastian vanished in a flash of red.

Casey turned and smiled at me. "There, that wasn't so hard, now was it?"

"That Blastoise is a bit of a loose cannon. Do you think we can rely on Sebastian?"

"Not a doubt in my mind." She said, raising her eyebrows. She pocketed the pokeball and started back toward the house, calling over her shoulder at me: "Richard's still asleep, and I don't think we should wake him. Up for… say… a long walk on the beech?"

She was smiling deviously and I this time, I didn't wonder why.

"Sure," I said, trying to keep the happy, nervous waver out of my voice.

(-o-)

Water Admin Akila called out her first pokemon, a shimmering Milotic that filled most of the tunnel beside her. Akila was generally acknowledged as the strongest battler of the Four Elemental Admins, and she accepted the title modestly. Everything about Akila was modest and quiet. Muted. She brushed a strand of navy hair away from her dark forehead and patted her pokemon's neck.

She began walking forward, first slowly, then building into a full run for the end of the tunnel. Milotic slithered along beside her, moving as gracefully on land as it would in water. The orange light at the tunnel's end grew brighter and bigger until…

Akila burst into a huge, orb-shaped room. The bottom half was filled with glaring, bubbling magma. A narrow stone bridge jutted across the center of the room; the cave entrance behind Akila was the only way in… except for the hole in the ceiling hundreds of meters above… but you'd need to fly to get out that way.

On the center of the stone bridge was a collection of lava rock arranged in a ring. Burnt out tree branches and piles of ash softened the rest of the nest. A nest. It was the same thing Rogan had reported in the Seafoam Islands: the Legendaries were about to lay eggs.

Some scientist speculated that Legendaries of the same pantheons reproduced at the same time… but because there was only ever one of each Legendary at a time, the theory that they reproduced at all was generally dismissed. But the Director knew things that only Rook could guess at (and relate to the admins), and he knew that they did in fact lay eggs. The pokemon in egg would be a carbon copy of its parent; the Legendaries reproduced asexually. The Director believed that unless it had another reason to live, the parent Legendary would probably die as soon as its spawn could care for itself…

But the chance of having the power of two of each of the Legendary Birds… it was enough to make any naturalist wonder… what better way to show the world the true power of nature than demonstrating with the power of the Great Birds?

But back to business. Milotic roared into the room, wrapping its long colorful body around the stone bridge. In the center of the room, resting in the nest was Moltres, its wings and tail streaming with bright flame. It screeched at the water pokemon and flapped into the air. The massive firebird looped down, around the bridge, then up in the heights of the chamber. It was going to fly out the hole in the roof.

"Hydro Pump," whispered Akila into her headset. The message was sent to Milotic's nano-bots… and a jet of powerful water slammed into Moltres' back. The Legendary screamed again; its flames flickered and almost went out, and it plunged down, vanishing into the magma below. Akila stalked over to the edge and looked down into the glowing liquid stone…

Moltres burst out of the lava, its body shining with new heat and rose up, smashing into the bridge. The center of the stone path was shattered and tumbled dramatically toward the magma. Akila leapt onto her pokemon's back and the two retreated back along the bridge to safe, unbroken place… Moltres continued to rise, up toward the ceiling.

There was an explosion from above as the fire pokemon widened the hole with its burning wings and vanished from the cave.

"Waterfall," Akila ordered, her voice taught with frustration. Milotic rose on a column of water and followed the Legendary out into the air.

Moltres was waiting for them; it was much more eager to fight than the other two Birds. It launched a Fire Blast straight into Milotic. The water pokemon looped back, almost falling back into the chamber. Akila looked around quickly to see they were on top of one of the many tiers around the edge of the Indigo Plato. High above her was the Pokemon League Headquarters, but Akila didn't immediately care about this.

Milotic surged forward with another Waterfall, but the bird flapped to the side. They were close now; the heat from Moltres' wings smoldered Akila's dress. Milotic wrapped around its foe and close range and used Waterfall a third time to slam Moltres into the cliff face. Milotic uncurled from its foe and writhed back.

"Dragon Pulse."

A ball of bright blue energy struck Moltres in the chest before it could pull away from the stone wall. It stumbled back again, then began to struggle up weakly… Akila hurled a pokeball.

A blast of fire from Moltres' beak knocked it from the air. It flapped its wings, releasing a powerful Heat Wave. Akila sheltered behind her pokemon, but she was too late now: Moltres leapt past her and into the sky. The red glow of the Legendary began to move into the distance…

A loud buzzing noise began to rise from the bottom of the Plato. Akila didn't bother glancing over the edge: she knew who it was. Rogan rose up over the side of the cliff in his trademark red helicopter. His pilot looked sternly ahead, but Rogan was grinning impishly.

Akila returned her Milotic and jumped into the helicopter's side door.

"Shut up and go," she mumbled at Rogan. That was a longer statement than Rogan had ever heard her say. He smiled at her again and nodded to his pilot, who took off after the fleeing Legendary Bird.

(-o-)

The ferry was closed for a week of repairs, but some kind of exited energy emanated from the three of us: we couldn't wait to leave Pallet Town. Our things were packed, and now that we had Sebastian with us, we could sail all the way to Cinnabar Island.

Beech asked us to stay, offered to show us around his lab more, but Casey was already fed up with him. She wouldn't stay near Beech for another day. He met us at the Beech behind Casey's house to see us off. He gave Richard and I a firm handshake and warm smile; he tried hugging Casey, and she reluctantly accepted… that is, she let him hug her. Her arms stayed stiff at her side and she looked mortified.

With that out of the way, Casey called out Sebastian and leapt onto his back. Richard and I clambered up after her, and the Blastoise swam off into the afternoon, three children standing on his shell.

Beech waved for a few minutes, then left before Pallet Town was out of site.


	22. Chapter 21: The Sky and the Sandbar

Chapter 21: The Sky and the Sandbar

**Chapter 21: The Sky and the Sandbar**

"Butterfree, use Psybeam!" shouted Casey. She pointed at her foe, a silky-coated Persian, and her pokemon obeyed, firing a brightly-colored beam of psychic waves from its antennae. Persian sidestepped on the narrow sandbar, and Butterfree pursued it.

The sun was shining off her hair and bare shoulders, and I had to force myself to look away and back to the battle of my own. Starme was facing off against a Tentacruel in the two-on-two battle we'd found ourselves in. Richard sat back with Sebastian, watching us with more than a little jealousy. Ah well. He'll live.

Starme leapt forward, its rear star spinning. It smashed into Tentacruel and released a bright Power Gem attack. The jellyfish pokemon lumbered back into the water. It sunk down on its massive tentacles and became a little island of soft flesh next to the sandbar.

"Water Gun!" shouted its trainer; he and his friend were standing on the other end of the little island. Fear was starting to spread on their faces. They were on their last pokemon.

Tentacruel spit a jet of water that Starme took in stride, spinning to release it off to the sides. My pokemon countered with Swift, then Bubblebeam in rapid succession. Tentacruel retreated further and further into the water. Starme rushed towards it for the final attack…

Right as my foe lunged out of the water. Tentacruel swung its huge, scythe-like jaw up and caught Starme right in the gem with a powerful Poison Jab.

"Confuse Ray!"

Starme sent another barrage of lights and shades that wrapped around Tentacruel like a thick shroud. The jellyfish pokemon fumbled around with its tentacles, trying to find its foe, but soon succumbed to its own confusion and sagged into the water. I looked over to see that Casey had finished her opponent a while ago and was looking at me expectantly. She smiled and made a peace sign at own challengers, then held out her hand to collect the friendly wager we'd made on the battle. It's common courtesy to give a few dollars to the winner of the competition; but we'd bet more than just a few dollars, and we collected it with pride.

I'm not sure why, but Casey always bet high on battles. She didn't need money (when her grandfather died, he left her loaded). There was nothing particularly important for her to spend it on. I guess it never really occurred to me that she just like the feeling she got from cleaning out her opponent's wallet after a good, fair fight.

"Had your fun?" asked Richard sulkily as we all climbed back onto Sebastian's shell. "I call in on the next battle, ok? All I'm getting out here is bored and sunburned."

Casey giggled and gave him a playful hug of apology. Now it was my turn to scowl and his to secretly gloat. With an indifferent grunt, Sebastian shoved off from the sandbar and we continued our journey south, leaving the battle's losers to find their own way home.

(-o-)

Akila stood on the landing sled of the helicopter, secured by a thin nylon line to the inside of the vehicle. She hung out over the sea as far as she could. Her dress flapped in the wind like a pair of wild blue wings. Akila too was heading south.

One of her more air-worthy pokemon –her ghost-type, Gengar- was levitating along beside the chopper, its haunting grin bright on its face. They were coming closer to the bright dot that Akila knew was Moltres. It was so close… almost in her fingers.

Finally, as the helicopter drew as close as it yet had to the Legendary Bird, Akila pointed ahead and ordered her pokemon.

"Take it. Now."

Gengar's smile widened as it linked its hands together… electric charge passed between its fingers, and with a roaring crackle, a bright Thunder attack leapt forward and raked over Moltres' wings.

(-o-)

There was loud boom, like thunder, somewhere in the distance.

All three of us scanned the sky, looking for the inevitable dark cloud… but the sky was clear blue and streaked with abstract clouds. There was no thunderhead, but… Casey saw it first: two dots in the north-west sky. They were high then they were far away, but the distance made it hard to tell what we were looking at.

Finally, I realized it: the foremost dot, bright yellow, almost too bright to look at, was a giant… flaming bird. Moltres, my gut told me, but I wasn't sure. The dot closing in on it was bright red and loud. A helicopter. It was Rogan's, I remembered. I had seen it that day in Fuchsia.

Man, I had almost forgotten about that. I was too wrapped up in getting to Casey, but Zapdos was captured, and it looked like Moltres would be soon. If the third bird, Articuno, was also in the Storm's hands… then Rook had some serious power under his control.

The two dots were closer now; I could make out their shapes more clearly. It was definitely Moltres. Its body shown with bright flames, and something was attacking it from behind, forcing it to fly faster and faster. The Legendary roared overhead, screeching loudly as it was struck again by its pursuers. I made out a Gengar hovering along behind it, attacking gleefully with a mixture of moves. With a thundering buzz, the helicopter followed. It kicked up a salty spray from the indigo sea. Almost like Rogan was being rude to us.

I doubt he knew it was us though.

Ahead was another sandbar and, seeing the opportunity it present, Moltres dove for it, Gengar close behind. A burst of sand was kicked up as the fire pokemon landed and spun around quickly. Gengar kept flying in, and… collided with Moltres' beak.

The ghost pokemon yelped in pain and leapt back onto the sand. With another flurry of grit, the helicopter touched down in front of Moltres. The Legendary Bird looked warily at the red craft, wanting flee, but lacking the strength. It cawed angrily and shuffled backward on feet that weren't meant for land.

Casey looked between me and Richard, and we both nodded. We had to do something about it.

"Sebastian, get us to that sandbar, please," said Casey curtly. Her grandfather's Blastoise apparently never listened to an order unless it was given nicely. The pokemon nodded back with indifference and paddle faster, heading directly for our destination. Richard had chosen a pokeball, and I began to size up my foes.

Rogan was the fire admin, and this other woman climbing out with him… Chloe was air, Rogan was fire, and that other man with them… he was definitely earth. So this woman must be water (that would make the four basic elements). The Gengar was probably hers, but her other pokemon were no doubt water type. Ivysaur may not have been the best choice, but I chose him anyways. It had been a while since he'd been in a good fight.

Sebastian crawled up onto the sand behind the helicopter and nodded at Casey. She returned the gesture and jumped off his shell, returning him to his pokeball. She let out her Pikachu, Richard his Fearow, and me my ever-trusted Ivysaur.

Just in front of us, an uneasy silence had ensued. There was some sort of standoff going on between Moltres, Gengar, and Rogan's pokemon, a fiery Infernape.

Richard, of course, broke the silence. "Arial Ace!"

Fearow rushed off in a burst of twisting air and collided with Infernape at tope speed, sending it flying to the ground. The monkey pokemon scrambled back up and chattered at us angrily. Rogan turned to look with his pokemon and snorted in disbelief.

"What, you again? You kids don't die as easily as I thought."

Richard shrugged, beating me to the punch. "What can I say? Hmm… maybe… Drill Peck!"

Fearow attacked again, this time with its beak, but Rogan was ready. His pokemon flipped away, all hands, feet, and style. He countered with a Mach Punch, which sent Fearow into the sand, but it was up again in a second and Richard moved to keep up with his battle.

Casey turned to me, putting a hand on my shoulder. "You take the blue bitch over there and I'll see what I can do about Moltres."

I nodded back and motioned to Ivysaur. He leapt loyally to my side and I turned to face the woman in blue. Her Gengar seemed more badly hurt than I had thought, because she returned it and summoned a new pokemon. A big, bright Milotic. All the better for me.

I saw her mouth move and glimpsed the shadow of a mouthpiece. Ivysaur looked at me for guidance, and I told him to be ready…

A powerful jet of water burst toward Ivysaur. He jumped up, barking with pleasure at being in a battle again. He landed and I countered with Razor Leaf; the attack hit Milotic's neck leaving little red slashes where it connected. I urged him on, and Ivysaur lunged forward with a Skull Bash that Milotic parried with its tail.

Ivysaur was reflected into the ground, but struggled up and made a little noise to tell me he was ready for more. I smiled. He really was a great pokemon.

"Razor Leaf!"

The attack flew forward, but this time Milotic weaved under it and slid forward on a burst of water. It collided with Ivysaur and the sheer mass of the attack threw my pokemon back. Ivysaur stood up again and flexed his flower.

"Now Vine Whip!" The vines wrapped around Milotic's head and Ivysaur reeled them in; he was pulled forward and landed on Milotic's back. More vines came out, beating at Milotic. "A little more, Ivysaur! Use Energy Ball."

Another bead of lime green light formed at his lips, and Ivysaur let the attack go… Suddenly, Milotic flashed pink, then became reflective and liquid as quicksilver. The Energy Ball hit its skin and bounced off the shiny coating. Milotic's mirror coat worked to perfection, and the Energy Ball rebounded into Ivysaur's face.

That did more damage than most of the water attacks Milotic had launched yet. Ivysaur looked hurt, but he still tried to pull himself up. He didn't have much strength left; I had to end this soon.

"Use Vine Whip again, but this time to don't pull him in," I said. Ivysaur nodded and his vines extended again, wrapping around Milotic. "Hold it down."

The vines looped into the ground, and Milotic cried out in distress. Even in pain, the noise the pokemon made was beautiful. It whipped its head around and tried to attack again with Hydro Pump, but Ivysaur swung sideways, using Milotic as an anchor. It landed a few feet to the left, still attached by the vines.

"Pull in and use Skull Bash!"

The vines retracted, now taking Ivysaur with them. He smashed his head into Milotic's neck, and the pokemon coughed; this time, it didn't sound too beautiful. The force of Ivysaur's attack propelled him into the air over his foe. The woman in blue's lips moved again; she was about to attack.

"Grab the tree and get out of the way!"

Ivysaur frantically lashed onto Milotic's tail and pulled himself to the sand. He was just in time. A jet of blue-green fire blasted up to where Ivysaur had just been. Dragonbreath.

But the battle was over. The woman in blue could see that. I nodded at Ivysaur with pride and gave one last order: "Energy Ball!"

This time, the attack connected, and with a melodic shriek, the water pokemon thundered to the sand. The woman in blue was shocked. I looked over at Richard: he had finished off Infernape and his Fearow had rushed Rogan and knocked him to the ground. The bird pokemon and its trainer were standing over the admin, hassling him so much he couldn't bet to his next pokeball. The woman in blue didn't seem to have any other pokemon with her, so I turned my attention to Casey.

I thought when she said she would take of Moltres that she was going to calm it down or something. Not so. Her Pikachu and now her Totodile too where helping her battle the Legendary pokemon. With a final Surf attack, the Legendary quailed and began to fall. Casey's hand flew to her belt and a pokeball went into the air. It connected with Moltres, and the fire pokemon vanished into it.

The ball rolled back and forth, and Casey put a nail in her mouth with nervousness. Finally, the ball chimed and Moltres was caught. She ran out the claim it and held it up happily. She giggled loudly and waved at me. I felt Ivysaur tugging at my leg but ignored him to wave back…

"Ian!" Richard shouted. I turned just in time to see Gengar back out and blasting Fearow aside with a Thunder attack. The woman in blue ran to her fellow's aid and helped him up. Rogan wiped the frown from his face and looked at Casey, eyeing hungrily the pokemon she had captured. The pokemon hunter shoved Richard the ground and stepped forward. He summoned his Magmortar and looked at Casey.

"Are you going to give me that, little girl?" he asked gruffly.

Totodile stepped bravely in front its trainer, Pikachu was back in its pokeball. I returned Ivysaur and brought out Dugtrio (Starme was still weakened) and looked back at Rogan.

"I caught it," said Casey, turning up her nose. "Fair and square. Should've gotten here faster!"

"We'll see about that." Rogan stepped forward and motioned to his Magmortar. It stepped forward and raised its arm.

I shouted over my shoulder to Richard: "Can Charizard carry us all out of here? I think we need to go fast."

It turned out that Casey's Pigeot belonged to Birch; it had been given to him to Casey's grandfather, but she had returned it to him before we left for Cinnabar Island. So we were down to one flyer, and I didn't know if Charizard could handle all three of us… Blastoise couldn't swim nearly fast enough…

Suddenly, I got an idea: if the Stormies couldn't follow us, it wouldn't matter how fast we went. I motioned for Richard to take my place in the fight, and he did, his Charizard stomping up to help Casey's Totodile.

I looked at Dugtrio and shouted: "Tri-Attack!"

A glowing triangle flew toward Magmortar, but the pokemon stepped out of the way. Rogan laughed, thinking he had just made me look stupid… it was really the other way around. The Tri Attack hit the front of the helicopter, exploding with fire, sparks, and cold wind. The nose of the craft was crumpled completely inward; the engine could be seen within, and the pilot had dived to safety on the ground.

"Now Dig."

Dugtrio vanished into the ground, but now Rogan and his pokemon realized what was going on. Magmortar leapt in front of the chopper to defend it, but Dugtrio was one step ahead. He came up underneath the helicopter, pounding its hull with blow after blow. He Slashed a large hole in its underbelly before reappearing back by me.

Magmortar lunged for my pokemon, only to be slammed aside by a Surf from Totodile. Charizard was chasing Gengar through the sky, but the two rarely exchanged blows. They were keeping each other busy…

With the other pokemon and admins distracted, I had a clear shot at the helicopter. Time for a finishing blow. "Use Rock Tomb!"

Finally, a herd of rocks rose up from under the sand and smashed into the chopper's… I think they call it the primary rotor. The big propeller on the top. Well, anyways, it was bent and rent into tiny little metal chunks. Rogan looked at me in horror, and I could only smile back, hoping I had some of the impishness in my grin that Casey always managed.

There was another burst of sand behind me as Richard's Charizard slammed Gengar into the ground. Richard signaled to me that the ghost pokemon was fainted. So we wouldn't be followed by air… and Akila didn't seem to have any other pokemon with her, so that meant no following by water…

"Casey, let's scram. Get Sebastian."

She realized what I had been doing in destroying the helicopter and wanted to add her own final touch. Casey called out Sebastian (Magmortar instantly halted its attack as the old pokemon was summoning; it seemed it was terrified to move for fear of invoking the Blastoise's power) and ordered a Hydro Pump. Right into the helicopter.

The craft rolled into the ocean on a jet of water. Rogan stared on in hate. He had been completely foiled in _every single aspect_ that day. He probably wanted us dead. Join the club. I'm sure Rook has some sort of jacket he can give you for your troubles. Rook… he would know we had been here and want us dead more than ever… it might have been smarter to just hand over the pokeball holding Moltres, but we couldn't do that.

Before I gave myself time to think about it, we were sailing away to the south on Sebastian's back. Casey and Richard were waving and shouting mocking pleasantries to the admins. If they ever replied, we didn't hear them.

(-o-)

Rogan was sick to his stomach.

Not only had he lost to those damned children _again_, but…

They had taken Moltres.

Akila didn't seem as afraid as him, and pounding him on the back of the head for his obvious weakness. The water admin pulled out her pokenav and called Rook's private office.

(-o-)

Rogan listened to Akila, hate twisting and twisting with each new abomination. Not only had they lost the legendary to a child… but they had proceeded to lose to said child. That infernal Ian had even defeated Akila… the only stronger battler in the Storm's Eye was Rook himself… and the Director…

And this was Rogan's third loss to those children. Rook decided that he really would have to kill them… Rogan included.

The head admin got up and paced his study; Hade and Chloe sat in small but comfortable chairs on the other side of the room. They had heard the whole conversation with Akila and probably sensed their leader's thoughts. Bother were immensely glad that it had been Rogan and Akila on that mission and not either of them.

"Send another helicopter to collect them," Rook said calmly. "Have Rogan stripped of his rank and make sure his pokemon are given to our next most capable hunter. Express my disappointment to Akila as well."

"Sir," said Hade, raising a hand in almost mock politeness. "You don't wish to reproach her yourself?"

Rook shook his metal face; his lanky black hair shook gently, and light played greasily across it. "You have all failed me enough, and failure will no longer be tolerated. It seems there is only one person which I… which our operation… can afford to send. I will go and collect Moltres. And perhaps kill some children while I'm at it."

Rook laughed at his own morbid little joke and swept out of his office. The two admins looked at each other with what could only be called worry, though for whom it was hard to tell.

(-o-)

We stumbled onto Cinnabar island around sundown.

Apparently, it used to be a pretty big city, but a volcanic eruption a few years ago seemed to have scared everyone off. It was now a relatively small town… or maybe ghost town. I think that that would be a more accurate term. Everywhere, broken down and empty buildings stood. Everyone had moved into what had been the center of town. There was mid-sized cluster of lit up houses, bath-houses, and shops, as well as a port with a few bobbing ships. And on the rim of the volcano above town… the big, white-painted-metal gym stood, sharp in contrast to the other cozy-looking buildings in the town center. Also, it had no lights on.

We managed to find a crowded hotel (it was vacation season and despite its slight decrepit-ness, still a hot spot for tourists) and rent a room for the next two nights or so in advance. We ate dinner cautiously at a nearby grill, all three of us aware that we could still be followed… Casey made sure to lock every door and window in the hotel carefully, and we each let out a few pokemon to sleep in the room with us… just in case.

Casey and Richard had both praised me for my idea of getting rid of the helicopter, and though it wouldn't be long until the Storm's Eye was after us again, I had a feeling… no, I knew that this time I wouldn't run from John Rook when I had to face him.

This time –and I really, really meant it, swore it this time- I would be ready for him.


	23. Chapter 22: A Promise Kept

Chapter 22: A Promise Kept

**Author's Notes: **Just so everyone knows, the summary of SoS will detail the current chapter, not the whole series. I wrote that on my profile page as well, but i don't think too many people read that. Also, a sprite of Ian has been set as my profile picture. I'd like to show a better shot of this sprite as well as sprites i have of my other OCs but i can't figure out how. If anyone knows how I can do that, TELL ME!

Hope everyone enjoys the new chapter.

* * *

**Chapter 22: A Promise Kept**

The next morning, I was the first up. I walked slowly around the hotel, making sure everyone and everything was there. None of the windows or doors had been opened. All of our pokemon were still huddled on the floor at the foot of Casey's bed. Casey was still in Casey's bed.

Richard had taken the couch and I the other bed, and Richard was still there, though he seemed to have shifted quite a bit in his sleep. But that was nothing new.

I sat back down on my bed and sighed heavily. Whoa. It seemed like we were finally coming out on top over the Storm's Eye. I was getting closer and closer to my revenge on Rook… but what if…

I hated to think about it, but what if this revenge isn't what I should be doing. Matt had told me to do my own thing… and I guess that I wanted to take revenge on Rook, but… Matt was never the vengeful type. He was really easy-going and peaceful… at least, I had always thought he was before the night he died.

But he had wanted me to defend Casey. And if Rook came after her again, I would have to face him. We would have to face him. And maybe… maybe then I would have the strength to take my revenge.

The others woke shortly afterward. First Casey, then Richard, and the three of us went out for breakfast. We probably still had a little time before the Stormies caught up with us, but it was impossible to judge how much. That afternoon, we were bound for the gym.

I was going to take advantage of this break in the action as much as possible.

(-o-)

Casey smiled to herself as she and her friends walked down a cobbled street in Cinnabar.

Friends. It still felt weird for her to call anyone a friend. She had lost so many in the past… she hadn't had friends her own age since she had lived in Celadon City long ago with her parents… and when she lost them, her grandfather had taken over. He had been the greatest friend Casey had ever had. And he would have liked Ian and Richard so much… it was him that she missed more than anyone. Even her parents.

And it had happened so quickly…

She hadn't meant for them to happen. At first, she really had just been with the boys for her own protection… but now it was different. They had come to save her, even when she had only been with them a day and hardly treated them fairly… and now… they truly were her friends. Casey felt luckier than anyone alive, but she knew that it wouldn't last. She couldn't let her new friends get in the way of her ultimate mission.

Casey had a promise to keep, and now that she had Moltres and Sebastian in her hands… she had the power to complete it.

Her grandfather had created something too powerful to be stopped. He had died before he could correct his mistake. Now Casey would finish it for him.

(-o-)

A surprise awaited us at the gym. After scaling the huge hill that led up to it, we approached the metal doors… inside was a large square room, open at the back. In fact, it really only had three walls: the forth was open to the volcano. A huge metal disk suspended on chains hung out of the crater.

It was just about the coolest battle arena I'd ever seen.

But it was who was standing in the arena that surprised me: it was Koga. The poison gym leader was talked in hushed tones with the tall, bald, lab-coated form of Blaine. Both started as we came in, and Koga turned to smile grimly at us. Blaine looked between the four of us with confusion.

"Oh," the fire gym leader said, "This can't be… are these the kids?"

Koga nodded and turned back to his fellow leader. "Indeed they are. Hello Ian, Richard, Casey. As you know, this is Blaine, the leader of Cinnabar's gym. I have come to him for a reason which involves you three as well, so it is good that you have arrived at this time. But before I get to this reason, I must tell you some of what has happened since you left my gym.

(-o-)

John Rook had once liked Cinnabar Island. Before he had been confined to his mask, he had always liked the sun, the bright colors, the beach… none of that meant much to him anymore. Now that he hid within his mask and trench coat, the warmth was uncomfortable and the brightness of the sun on the white buildings was painful.

He stalked along, his coat drawn close to his body and a hood pulled up to hide his frightening face. The gym… the children would surely go to the gym. That was their mission in every city. Ah to have such a simply, childish mission…

Rook had once followed that same mission. He had followed the path of so many other trainers, collecting badges and winning battles in many regions… a few times, he had been asked to take the title of champion, but had turned it down… there was always somewhere new to go, always something new to do. And his brother… his beloved and trusted brother…

He was gone now, taken by humans. Since then, Rook had hated humans, siding with the power of nature over the power of man. Rook new better than most the true power of pokemon… the power of nature… he would never forget that power.

The stairs leading up to the gym were steep, but Rook didn't take them. It seemed as though climbing directly to the gym would be too obvious… Rook needed a quieter way in. A way to observe.

He stalked around the island at the volcano's base. Rook would cross to the other side of the mountain and climb it from the back. From there, he could sneak into the gym… maybe rid himself of a little more opposition by killing that insolent, ignorant Blaine… Rook smiled to himself and began to creep off across the rocks.

(-o-)

I needed a few more seconds to absorb all I'd heard.

Rook had been captured by Koga, but escaped; Will (of the Johto Elite Four) was dead; and now Koga intended to make good his promise to train us. That was where Blaine came in. He wanted us to train under him and Blaine, to learn and become strong enough to finish off Rook.

"When the time comes," he explained, "the chances are that I will not be the one fighting Rook. If it is any of you, I want you to be ready."

I asked to talk to the others before we agreed to anything.

"This is perfect!" hissed Casey. "Ian, we have to take them up. This'll make us strong enough to fight Rook, I just know it."

"Hold up, just one second." Richard cut in with a wave of the hand. "What if Rook is on our trail right now? He could be right here and he might catch us. What if catches up before we're done training? I think we should keep moving, get Rook off our tails and come back later…"

"But if he finds us now, we'll have help fighting him," said Casey. She turned to me pleadingly. "What do you think, Ian?"

Richard looked at me too, smiling confidently. "Yes, Ian: what do _you_ think?"

I looked between the two them: my best friend and crush… damn it, I hate it when things like this happen.

Without answering either of them, I turned to Blaine and Koga. "We're in. Train us."

(-o-)

Blaine wanted to start us at once, and though Richard seemed a little worried about staying on Cinnabar to be trained, we agreed. He wanted to test us first with a battle. Three on one didn't seem at all fair, especially since I had beaten people I was sure were stronger than Blaine, but again, we agreed.

Casey called out Pikachu, Richard his Ryhorn, and me my Starme. Blaine reached efficiently to his belt and grabbed a pokeball and summoned a beautiful, golden Ninetails. His pokemon leapt over the metal platform over the volcano, and a safety rail rose around the edge of the disk. Our pokemon followed, using the bridge connected to the stage rather than jumping over the lava that bubbled below. Awesome.

Blaine tucked his hands behind his back and smiled at Koga, his white-blond mustache twitching in anticipation. He turned back to his Ninetails and shouted, "Go, Ninetails: Quick Attack!"

Before we knew the battle had started, Ninetails vanished in golden blur and skipped around the platform's edge. Starme started to move, but was slammed into the air by the fire-pokemon's head and was tossed up.

Pikachu attacked from the front while my pokemon was airborne, using a quick attack of its own. Ninetails sidestepped and patted Pikachu along its way. Did I say patted? It patted Pikachu with an Iron Tail attack that sent the poor little pokemon into the metal railing at the platform's edge.

Starme came down and launch a Swift at my orders. Ninetails started to move, but the stars followed it and finally connected, causing it to stumble… Ryhorn took advantage of that, attacking with Horn Drill, but his foe was up too quickly. It dodged Ryhorn's attack too, hitting it with a super powerful Overheat. It didn't faint Ryhorn, but it was badly damaged. Smoking and charred, it limped back over to the other pokemon. We regrouped quickly, talking amongst ourselves.

Blaine told his pokemon to rest and walked over to us.

"Notice," he said, smiling deviously. "That I never ordered Ninetails to stop using Quick Attack."

Casey looked as though she was catching on, but I drew a blank; that meant Richard definitely drew a blank.

Blaine sighed, exasperated. "My pokemon has been using a simple move –Quick Attack- in addition to more complex moves –Iron Tail and Overheat."

"Oh," I said, pretending I understood. Actually, I guess I kind of did: when I fought Milotic back on the sandbar, Ivysaur used Vine Whip to hold his foe still while he used more powerful attacks… yes, it made sense.

"Understand?" Casey and I nodded, but Richard still looked blank. The two gym leaders exchanged looks and Blaine turned back to the arena, motioning for us to do the same. This time… this time. I've been saying that a lot lately. And I mean it.

This time he wasn't going to beat us all so easily.

Ninetails howled eerily and turned back to its foes. Richard replaced Ryhorn with Fearow before we began.

"Starme, Rapid Spin!" My pokemon spun into the fight, gliding around its foe. Ninetails began moving in its Quick Attack leaps and bounds to dodge, but I had something else in mind. I waved to Starme and it twisted around, landing on the ground just behind Ninetails, released a Power Gem attack, then leapt back up, spinning after its foe again.

The Power Gem missed, but in dodging it, Ninetails missed its chance to dodge Rapid Spin as well. Starme hit Ninetails aside, and the battle was over for Blaine: a Thunderbolt from Pikachu and Drill Peck from Fearow pinned it down, and one last Hydropump finished our foe.

Blaine smiled and returned his pokemon. "That'll do for today."

We stayed to have an awkward dinner with Blaine and Koga, before leaving for the hotel. They invited us to stay at the gym with them (apparently Blaine kept an apartment in the basement) but we turned them down. The hotel room was booked for two nights. We walked down the mountain in relative silence, occasionally making a joke or comment.

Cinnabar Island was lit up cheerily below us; as we neared the outskirts of the town, I wondered if I'd done the right thing by taking up Blaine's offer. The others seemed happy enough, and I knew we'd learn some important techniques… yes, I think I was a good thing we stayed.

(-o-)

Rook crouched in the night. Far down the stairs from him were the three children. No time like the present… Rook smiled and almost had to keep himself from laughing under the mask. Almost. So unaware… so ignorant.

Rook decided it wouldn't hurt and managed a chuckle. He drew a pokeball and increased his pace down the hill.


	24. Chapter 23: Close Encounters

Chapter 23: Close Encounters

Author's note: sorry it took so long for me to get this chapter up. my computer got infected with spyware and when i got it cleaned, the file holding this chapter had been deleted so i rewrote it earlier today.

also, if anyone is interested in seeing trainer cards for any of my OCs, email me at . i can send the image file, just request by Character name. right now, i have one for Ian, Richard, Casey, and i'm working on one for Rook as well as some other characters about to be revealed. and please don't send anything to that email by requests for the sprites. that's my private email and i'd like to keep it so.

thanks, and enjoy the next chapter. getting near the end...

* * *

**Chapter 23: Close Encounters**

A yellow blur.

That was all I saw, but it was enough to knock Richard down the steps and onto his back. We were standing on a the stairs that snaked down the side of the volcano from the gym to Cinnabar; jagged volcanic rocks rose on either side of us, and Richard was lucky not to land on any. With a start, I realized he had been knocked out; he was lying crookedly on his back, and crouched on his chest of was a heavily breathing Electabuzz.

Where the hell had that come from? I turned around, looking back up the stairs to see… Rook was stalking down toward us. There was a cowl pulled over his head in a vain attempt to conceal his horrible metal face, and his amber eye glinted in the light of the city behind me.

"You should've just moved along, gotten on with your life. You should've let us be," he growled in his strange voice.

"Ian!" Casey screamed from behind me, and I ducked just in time. Electbuzz flew, thrashing, over my head and landed at his trainer's side. The Pokemon howled and chattered like a monkey. Its arms were thick and powerful, bristling with yellow fur.

I heard a chime from behind and Casey's Nidorqueen appeared at my side; she joined me a second later, and I called out Jolteon. Rook just laughed, like out attempt was totally pathetic. Maybe it was, but Richard was out, and I wasn't going without a fight. And we couldn't let him get his hands on Moltres. Who knows what would happen if he got his hands on it?

"I'll make you a deal," offered Rook, almost sarcastically. "You have caused me so much trouble in the past that I can hardly afford to, but nonetheless: I know you have Moltres. Give the pokeball containing it to me, and I will leave now. Otherwise, I have no choice but to kill you all now."

By way of answer, I shouted, "Quick Attack!"

Jolteon leapt forward, a yellow blur herself now, and knocked Electabuzz up into the air. My foe tried to come down on her with a Thunderpunch, but Jolteon struck upward with Pin Missile before it could react. My Pokemon skipped back down to me and we waited, watching for Rook's next move.

Casey's Nidoqueen spun and Slammed, but this time Electabuzz was ready. It sidestepped the attack, and jumped up toward Nidoqueen's chest. With a Cross Chop, it brought Casey's Pokemon to its knees. She was almost fainted. Jolteon tried to use another Quick Attack, but a bolt of lightning from Electabuzz knocked her aside as well.

"This is hopeless," taunted Rook, motioning more attacks for his Pokemon. A volley of Thunderpunches narrowly missed both our Pokemon, and still Electabuzz surged on. "This is your last chance: give me the ball and live!"

Jolteon and Electabuzz locked Thunderbolts, the bright fingers of both their attacks fizzling against each other in mid air… but Rook's Pokemon was stronger. It amplified its attack and sent Joleton sprawling. It moved in, bounding on its long arms and stubby legs, leaping into to air and coming down with finishing blow…

A ball of fire struck Electabuzz mid jump and sent him smocking to the rocks. An Arcanine bounded down the hillside, and I caught sight of Blaine sprinting down the stairs behind Rook. Koga too was coming towards us, jumping across the rocks. A big, dark Crobat fluttered at his shoulder.

He landed catlike next to me and Casey, and ordered the latter to go down the stairs and check on Richard. Casey complied, returning her Pokemon and running away. Blaine came to a stop about a dozen feet behind Rook, his Arcanine standing before him. The gym leader's mustache billowed dramatically in the wind.

"Rook!" screamed Koga hoarsely. "Stay where you are and return your Pokemon. You've got no chance at escape. You're surrounded…"

"This is hardly a fair fight," said Rook, said Rook, backing up to be closer to his Pokemon. "But I have been against worse odds and stronger foes in the past. You know I won't surrender, Koga."

In a flash, Rook had a second Pokemon out, a dark Vileplume. The grass Pokemon looked like a bandit, its flower like a hat shielding its eyes from the setting sun. It was getting dark; the beginnings of stars were appearing as dusk slowly began to creep over the island. I returned my injured Jolteon and called out Ivysaur. I'd need my best if I wanted to beat Rook… this was my chance. It all came down to now. I had to win here. Rook was mine…

"Energy Ball!" I shouted before the others moved. The sphere of lime light arced off and exploded against the stairs under Electabuzz's feet. The electric Pokemon tumbled down with the blast, but was quickly up again. Rook ordered his Pokemon silently about so that Vileplume was facing me and Koga, and Electabuzz faced Arcanine.

Koga's Crobat launched a Poison Sting that missed Vileplume, but this Pokemon wasn't as strong as Rook's others, I think. It took a Razor Leaf from the side while it was distracted with the other attack. Crobat swooped down and knocked it up the stairs in Steel Wing… it was taking a beating, but the opposite was happening further up the stairs. Electabuzz was hammering the massive fire Pokemon back every time it attacked.

I motioned to Koga that I was going to help Blaine, and he nodded back. Vileplume wasn't much of a challenge for this Elite Four member.

Ivysaur followed me as I scrambled up over the slabs of volcanic rock and set off toward Blaine. Once I had gotten onto the first massive rock next to the stairs and had a clear view of Blaine and Rook further up the steps –cutting myself twice along the way-, I decided that I was close enough and sent Ivysaur ahead to fight. Before I'd even given an order, Ivysaur leapt forth and lashed out with Vine Whip, knocking Electabuzz aside before it could blast Arcanine with a Thunder.

Blaine nodded in thanks, and we turned out two Pokemon on Rook's, driving it down the steps toward its trainer. Ivysaur tried to wrap the electric pokemon's hands with vines, but he was caught and thrown down toward the water. Electabuzz jumped down after him, and Ivysaur took a Thunderpunch to the head. He was only a few feet from the sea now, and far enough away that I had to shout to be heard.

"Drive him back, Ivysaur: Bullet Seed!"

I could here the tiny, sharp seed ricocheting off the rocks… and Electabuzz, from all the way up the volcano. My foe covered his face with his yellow arms, and Ivysaur Skull Bashed him aside and began clambering back up to me. Electabuzz tried to follow him, but a stream of Fire Blasts kept him at bay until Ivysaur was safely back on the stairs.

I saw Vileplume fall to Crobat, and Rook flinched with regret. He summoned an Azumarill and kept battling. I caught a glimpse of emotion in his eye: fear coupled with uncertainty and hatred. He didn't have much time left. His Electabuzz rejoined him, and we were about to resume fighting…

Suddenly, Rook raised a hand. "You are all domed and damned. This truly is your last chance. Give me Moltres."

He was starting to sound repetitive, and that bugged me.

"Save it Rook," called Koga. "It's clear no one here is going to give in. We'll have to keep fighting until one of us dies."

Rook laughed coldly. "You'd better hope for Janine's sake that it's me. I swear Koga, if I live, I'll hunt your pretty little daughter down… and by the time I'm through with her, you'll both wish she was dead. Who knows… maybe I'll grant that request."

Koga's eyes widened with Rage. "You dirty bastard!" he screamed, jumping the full distance between him and Rook. I saw the glint of a knife in the gym leader's hand, but Rook was ready for that.

The Head Admin caught Koga's hand and twisted him to the ground. Rook kicked him in the chest and pinned the gym leader down with a foot. _He had been planning that_…

"If you give a single order to your Pokemon, I'll crush your throat," said Rook like he was warning a naughty child. He turned to look up the stairs at Blaine and I. We had the high ground, but suddenly, that seemed like our only advantage. "The tides have turned now, haven't they? Still going to be so thickheaded? That's too bad."

Rook raised his left arm and pointed it at Electabuzz. He rolled up his sleeve to reveal the device that clung there. It was some sort of gauntlet made of three ellipses of metal that covered Rook's entire forearm, bulging like a shiny tumor. He pressed something on it, and the three pods rose up on little arms. It bloomed like a metal flower, and inside…

I tiny sphere of blue light was shining from inside the gauntlet, shedding a turquoise glow on the hillside. It was pretty… and blinding. I think Rook was smiling behind his mask, and I felt a deep pit open up in my stomach.

Rook did something else to the gauntlet, pressing some obscure switch, and the ball of light fired straight _into_ his Pokemon. Don't ask me how, because I'm not sure. It just… flew at Electabuzz, touched its skin and vanished into it like a ghost.

Suddenly, the electric Pokemon was glowing, not with the yellow-white glare of lightning, but a strange turquoise aura. Electabuzz's skin was glowing like the water lit from below. Rook was definitely smiling now, and I by the time I realized what was happening… I saw Koga miming a scream at me.

He was mouthing something: _Run for your life!_

I tugged at the sleeve of Blaine's tweed coat, and he turned to look at me.

"What the hell is that?"

"This is your demise!" shouted Rook, cackling like a serial killer.

Electabuzz turned, sniffed the air in my direction, and leapt up the stairs with a howl.

(-o-)

Casey knelt next to Richard… he was out cold, but still breathing. And no blood. That was good, because Casey wasn't sure what she could've done other than throw up if there had been blood everywhere… she wasn't scared or grossed out by most things that other girls were, but blood was something she couldn't abide.

She arranged Richard's limbs so that they were in a less painful looking position. She took off her jacket and folded it up for a pillow for him; it was a warm night so she didn't need it, and it was only a sort of half-jacket, so it wouldn't have helped her much even if it had been cold. Casey looked back up the stairs on the hillside.

Ian the gym leaders appeared to be doing well. Rook couldn't last long against all three of them… that is, until Koga fell. For some reason, he had rushed madly toward Rook and been thrown to the ground. His Crobat now flapped around above the battle, unsure of what to do without its trainer.

Casey fished out the pokeball holding Moltres and looked at it. It seemed to be causing a lot of this. If she didn't know what a monster Rook was, she probably would've given it to him. She didn't feel comfortable with that kind of power in her hand…

There was a flash of blue light from up on the hill. Casey's head snapped up and she looked over to see one of Rook's Pokemon –his Electabuzz- wreathed in turquoise light. The glow covered everything, illuminating the dull rocks, and glinting off Rook's mask and the water below.

This couldn't be good…

(-o-)

A bolt of lightning so bright and hot it numbed my body snaked toward me, to fast to follow. The ground beneath my feet was blow to smithereens, and when I could see again and my ears stopped ringing, I was at the bottom of a crater blown into the hillside. The stairs resumed about ten feet behind me and ten feet ahead, marking the ring of the depression. Ivysaur and Blaine were in the pit with me, and both were still coming too…

Suddenly, Electabuzz was at the rim of the crater, spilling blue light on us like water. Before it could leap in and tear us to pieces with another attack, Arcanine attacked from behind, tearing into Electabuzz's side with a strong Bite…

An attack like that would've spilled the guts of most Pokemon, but instead of blood, more blue light came from the wound. Arcanine jumped back to avoid an attack, then stared with as much shock as me as the light from the wound faded and the bite closed up. The only thing left behind was a spot of paler fur on Electabuzz's side. With another Thunder attack, Arcanine was laid out on the ground and KOed, and the electric Pokemon turned back to me and Blaine.

Ivysaur struggled up the rim of the crater and barked in defiance to it. Rook only cackled and ordered his Pokemon toward us. Azumarill still sat, uninjured by his side. We were so screwed…

(-o-)

Casey shared his sentiments. She had to do it. There was no other choice. The girl ran up the stairs as far as she could go without being heard by Rook, then turned to the rocks and began climbing up them. When she was about half way up the cliff side, Casey looked back to see Ian barely holding on against Rook's Electabuzz. She couldn't let Rook get to him. She had to act.

"Hey! She shouted. "Do you want Moltres or not?"

(-o-)

Electabuzz batted poor Ivysaur aside. I felt bad for him: he was strong and rarely lost, but even he couldn't last long against Rook's Pokemon. The blue light glowing inside it made it stronger… bloodthirsty. And any injury I did manage to inflict on it was healed instantly. Whatever the blue light was, it made Rook's Pokemon invincible.

I heard Casey shout from further up the cliff.

"Well? I'm offering you Moltres, Rook. Stop your Pokemon if you want to get it."

Rook made a silent command (he seemed to able to communicate quietly with his Pokemon like Rogan and Akila) and his Pokemon leapt back to him, sniffing the air hungrily. As suddenly as it had appeared, the watery light vanished, and Electabuzz was just Electabuzz. It looked around a little confusedly; the bloodlust was clearly gone from its eyes. It was no longer the mad, hunting, battling beast it had been a second before.

Rook and I both looked up the side of the volcano to see Casey standing on the rocks. In her hand the red-white orb of a pokeball. She held out from her body stiffly, like it might bite or sting her. She looked ready to drop it.

"You want Moltres?" she repeated one more time. "Listen to my conditions and I might just give it to you." She waited for Rook to give some sign he was listening. He nodded nonchalantly and shifted toward her, careful to keep his foot on Koga's chest.

"Stay where you are," said Casey, cringing back. Rook did.

Ivysaur struggled up from under the rubble where he had fallen and stood by my side. I deemed it safe to crouch and scratch the back of his head. My strongest Pokemon still was good enough to beat Rook's average… well, he did have the advantage of whatever that light was. It occurred to me then that Rook hadn't used his trademark Salamance yet. Maybe he was saving it to make his escape on. If he'd called it out first, the battle might already have ended with all of us dead. Maybe… maybe there was another reason he hadn't yet used it…

"Ok," Casey continued. "First, let Koga go. Second, call back your Pokemon and come toward me… slowly." He complied, and as soon as Rook was climbing up to Casey, Koga leapt up and came to stand about a dozen feet from me and Blaine. His Crobat swooped down to land on his shoulder. "Once you get the ball," said Casey, "You have to fly out of here, and never look for us again. Just leave us be. Do you swear it?"

Rook nodded. "I swear, young lady. Once I have Moltres, I will never need to look for you again." He climbed for a while in silence, and Casey waited tensely. Finally, he was only one stone below her, and here he stopped. "I'm afraid I must comply. Our hands seem reversed by fate: we each hold the cards the other wants."

He held out his hand, and Casey aimed hers so it was over his. She released the pokeball and it dropped like a sphere of blood into his hand. Rook chuckled as it fell, and once the ball was in his hand, he let out a full, deep throated laugh.

"One more thing, child: it's hard to go wrong with an ace up your sleeve."

The cackling grew louder, and I could see why. Casey was looking around for whatever Rook was laughing at, but I saw it straight off. With a loud crashing, the gym was demolished and rushing from the rubble was Salamance. There it was.

The dragon Pokemon glided down the hill, rushing straight at Casey. Its jaws were open wide… oh God, it was just like with Matt. It was happening again. I couldn't let it happen again. I shouted as loud as I could, "Casey!"

She saw the dragon then and started to turn, to jump, but even then I knew it would be too late. Ivysaur… he must've sensed my fear or something. He reacted with me, firing an Energy Ball up the slope. It collided with Salamance's face and exploded with spiky green light, causing the dragon to cry out and crash into the rocks. It rose from where it had –off to the side of where Casey had been standing, but she had already started running toward us.

Casey jumped down onto the stairs, fell to her knees, then scrambled up comically to hug me. She was crying with fear.

"Thank you," she whispered into my chest. "Thanks Ian."

I put my arm on the small of her back and she didn't object. Rook just laughed again and returned his Electabuzz; no need for three Pokemon. He could finish us with two. At least, that's what he thought.

I patted Ivysaur in thanks and he nodded, glad to have helped… but I didn't know how much strength he had left. Neither of us would last long against Salamance, and Blaine was out of Pokemon. That left Koga and Casey. I hoped they could handle Rook. Salamance and Azumarill began walking up the steps toward us, and I shook Casey gently.

"It's time," I whispered. She nodded and pulled away from me; as soon as she did, I began missing her warmth. She drew the pokeball containing Sebastian and threw it, calling her grandfather's Pokemon by name.

The Blastoise uncurled from its shell and glared at Salamance; he looked as though he matched it not only in power but in ferocity of appearance. The two eyed each other like old foes… like mountains. Ivysaur and Crobat rushed up beside the water Pokemon, all ready to fight. Rook looked us over and laughed.

"Why, that's never Georgiou's old Blastoise, is it? No, I think it is. Sebastian, isn't it Casey?" Casey looked at him irritably, but there was no time to wonder at how Rook new her Grandfather's Pokemon… or his name.

"Hydro Pump!" she called, and Sebastian obeyed. His cannons sprung open and a jet of water as thick as my body flew at Salamance. Rook leapt onto its back and took off into the air before the attack hit. The water rolled down the hill harmlessly, and Rook swooped in from the air.

His Pokemon caught Sebastian's shell in its teeth, but with a Rapid Spin, the water Pokemon threw it off and fell back to the rocks. He landed with a loud thud and the ground underneath him almost gave way to slide down the hill. Sebastian fired more jets of water into the sky, but Salamance didn't seem to have any problem dodging them. It was fast, faster than any other flyer I'd seen.

Koga and I battled the Azumarill on land, but it was a fairly easy battler; it was two against one and I had the type advantage. We had at least subdued the water Pokemon before Rook swooped down towards out battle. His Salamance landed powerfully in front of us, its red wings flared. He returned his water Pokemon just as Sebastian rushed up to stand in front of us.

"Do you really think that that old Pokemon can keep me from you?" asked Rook. "His trainer couldn't stand against me using him… how can you hope to?"

"You fought my grandfather?" Casey asked. I thought she was stalling, but maybe she wasn't. maybe the oddness of the statement had driven her to question Rook.

"Oh, many times. We were friends once. But, as often happens, we were fated as enemies from the start. We both wanted the same thing, but he was too weak to reach out and take it. That was my destiny, and you have now given me the last component I need to complete it." Rook chuckled to himself with some new thought. "It's a shame you didn't die as easily as he did. You could've saved me and yourself a lot of trouble."

"My grandfather died of a stroke," said Casey calmly. She was staring Rook down, grey eyes to amber one.

"Did you really believe that?" scoffed Rook. "I killed him myself. His old heart was so weak that one punch to the chest killed him. I didn't even have to waste an attack from my Pokemon on him…"

"You didn't!" screamed Casey. She tried to run at Rook, but I grabbed her arm. That would be suicide. Sebastian seemed enraged too, and he lashed out with a massive Skull Bash. It caught Salamance under the chin, an attack that would've smashed in the skulls of most Pokemon. But Salamance was only thrown back, its neck badly twisted, and rolled down the stairs.

It almost tumbled all the way to Richard, who Rook thankfully seemed to have forgotten. The Salamance struggled up and Rook looked at us with new respect. He was reconsidering.

"Maybe that old turtle has more fight left in him then I thought." John Rook also checked his gauntlet. There was a little circular light on the top of each pod, and two of the lights were out. Only the third glowed blue-green. "And I only have one shot left in my Illuminator. So I suppose this time, I'll let you live. Take advantage of this and don't come after the Storm again. Next time, I won't be so generous."

His Salamance flapped its wings, preparing to take off into the now night-black sky… I thought he would leave. He would've left, but Koga stepped forward. Maybe the threat about his daughter was still ringing in his head. Maybe he just couldn't let a bastard like Rook get away and keep a clean conscious.

Regardless of why, he acted.

Koga jumped forward, throwing a small black knife at Rook. Salamance knocked it from the air with a burst of wind from its wings. Rook blinked in surprise, then reacted.

"Stupid," he muttered, brushing his Pokemon's neck. Salamance rumbled forward, jaw's splayed, and grabbed Koga around the waste. Blood blossomed like some kind of grave flower, and with a flip of the neck, Koga was cast to the rocks below the stairs. "You should've listened."

Without another word, Rook took off, circling twice overhead before vanishing into the night, heading north. Koga never said a word either, he didn't scream at all, and by the time we'd rushed down to him, he was out cold… and getting colder.

Koga's face was pale with blood loss, and Blaine and I lifted him carefully to carry him to a hospital. Casey staunched the wound with some of the scarf Koga always wore. Once reached the bottom of the stairs, Casey waited with Richard and Blaine and I rushed on to the hospital.

(-o-)

The wound was big, round and jagged, piercing several internal organs. The nurses at the hospital weren't sure if he'd make it. Richard, on the other hand, woke a few minutes later and made it to the hospital where he got some medicine and an ice pack for his head. He was alright though, and I was glad. I don't know what I'd do if I lost him too.

Koga slept for the rest of the night, and I was inclined to join him. The hospital was connected to the Pokemon Center, so Richard, Casey, and I walked over to it and checked into a room for the night. Blaine staid with his fellow gym leader.

PC rooms were always free, so we didn't have to worry about paying, and though we all wanted to talk, none of us could bring ourselves to. We would try and sleep until morning… maybe then we could find words to explain to ourselves what had happened.


	25. Chapter 24: The Ultimatum

Chapter 22: The Ultimatum

**Chapter 24: The Ultimatum**

By the time Rook landed back on the Iris, which was still hovering lazily over the oceans south of Pallet Town, Articuno and Zapdose were already being operated on. Hade and a team of surgeons moved first to one bird, then the other, implanting the control robots in their brains. Once Moltres was sealed in its cage, it was implanted as well. All three of the birds were under the Storm's control.

Time for the party to begin.

That night, Rook sent out his three trusted admins (the Four Elementals, minus Rogan; he had vanished into the lower ranks and a replacement was being found); it was time for the Storm's Eye to work its way into the public's eye.

As Rook and the Director had both often mused, the Storm's Eye was not nearly as famous as any other organization before it, despite the fact that it was more powerful than any of them. They had started out as radical environmentalists… that may be what put them behind. They came across with a message of peace, instead of a message of domination, and people don't care about peace. They care about drama and emotion.

All of that was changing, right before Rook's eyes. Before the night was done, the world would know the true power of nature, whether they wanted to or not.

(-o-)

Rook's three admins flew quickly in a variety of craft, each one with his or her own destination. Hade flew south-west to Hoen, Chloe west to Johto, and Akila north to Sinnoh.

Each returned in the morning with a second person, the champion of each region. Currently, the same man was the champion of both Johto and Kanto, and he lived in a house at the base of Mt. Silver.

Ryoku Suzuki was considering going off to bed when there was knock on his door. The young champion stood, setting down his book and hot tea, and went forth to answer it. It wasn't unusual for him to get calls this late; you got that sort of thing as a Pokemon League Champion. People expected a lot of you, it turned out; the Champion of each region served not only as an idol for its children, but also as a leader and defender for its entire people. When something bad happened, the Champion did something about it.

And something bad was happening, although Ryoku didn't know it. He was a strange looking young man, just over twenty. He was tall and broad shouldered with dark red-brown hair that was spiked up a good six inches above his head. The front quarter of his hair was died electric yellow, and he was known to wear clothing of a similar color. Perhaps it was to mach the color of his signature Pokemon…

He opened the door calmly, bowing slightly to whoever was outside before motioning for them to come in. It was a young woman, clearly a trainer, wearing a white dress embossed with shiny purple spirals. Her hair was light blue and spiked up like his.

Ryoku raised an eyebrow and asked, "What can I do for you, miss? If this is about a challenge, you'll have to wait until the next tournament. I don't really have time for unscheduled battles…"

"This is about the safety of your little nations," the young woman snapped. There was a pokeball in her hand that hadn't been there a second before. Ryoku motioned for Chloe to calm down, but it did no good. "The Storm's Eye is making its demands known now, and you are needed to hear them. My master wishes to issue his ultimatum in person; you will come with me."

Ryoku looked around, sighing. He got threats like these from time to time, and nothing ever came of them… but he was champion. It was his job to take care of it.

He stepped outside, and before he could protest, three large men had grabbed him and were escorting him to a waiting helicopter. Ryoku struggled a little at first then gave up. They couldn't hold his arms forever, and when they were free, so would he be.

(-o-)

Ryoku soon found himself standing on a platform hovering about two hundred feet above the main deck of the Iris. A sort of air-barge. There were two other people standing on the barge with him, the blue-haired, white caped form of Wallace, Champion of Hoen, and a small girl clad in a black and white-striped dress. Her hair was pitch black and combed down over the right side of her face; to Ryoku, a typical goth..

"Tori LeToure," the girl said in answer to his questioning look. "Champion of Sinnoh."

Ryoku nodded with a warm smile.

"And I'm Ryoku…"

"Ryoku Suzuki," Tori said before he could finish. "Champion of Kanto at age 15 and Champion of Johto at age 17; favored Pokemon are Raichu, Exeggutor, and Gyaradose; strategies including relying on defense while building other stats for a final attack and battling at pace, defending between powerful attacks."

Ryoku raised an eyebrow at the girl. She was barely a teenager if even that… and already a champion of Sinnoh. From the sound of all the information, she was after more championship titles then she already had. Ryoku exchanged looks with Wallace over the girl's head. Tori caught the look and shrugged.

"I like to know my competition."

"And yet you have no idea of whose hands you are currently in," said a faintly accented voice from behind. The three champions whirled to see a huge, scarlet-winged Salamance swooping to a landing at the other end of the air-barge (it was about twenty feet by sixty feet, more than large enough for the dragon Pokemon).

The guards standing at each corner of the hovering platform stepped forth to surround the three champions. They all tensed as a man climbed down from the Salamance's back, his face mostly covered with a glinting metal mask. The man stepped forth and offered a gloved hand to his captives.

"John Rook," said Wallace, carefully offering his hand first. He was the only one to shake; the two younger champions stepped back, frightened by the odd masked man.

Rook nodded. "Wallace, it has been a while. I trust you still have the scar from our battle in the Dragon Cave?"

"Doctors are quite good these days, actually. It's been complete healed… but you Rook, I think, always will bear the scars that the late Matt Cartright gave you."

"You know Matt?" asked Ryoku. He had long been friends with the boy, and they'd shared many a battle as both foes and partners. "And what do you mean 'the late'?"

Wallace held a hand, indicating that he would explain later. The eldest champion turned back to Rook, his blue hair fluttering wildly under his cap. "What's going on here, Rook? I know you: you aren't a planner, you're an enforcer. Whose built all this, and why don't we know about it?"

"Surely you have heard of the Storm's Eye?"

"I have," said Ryoku. "But I thought they were just air scum. Pirates."

Rook chuckled dryly. "That, my friend, is where you are oh so wrong." John Rook turned and gestured to the ringed, black fortress floating below them. "My master, the Director, built this glorious abode for his dream… the dream of restoring the nature to the prowess and respect it once had. You are right Wallace, I am an enforcer; I enforce the dream of the Director, who regretfully suffers from a degenerative disease and cannot leave his bed."

Rook looked as though he wanted to continue, but Wallace cut him off. "You're fairly deformed yourself, John. Who is the Director and why did he chose you as his lieutenant?"

Rook ignored the taunt and the questions and continued speaking.

"I lead this team for him; I am his mouthpiece. His plan is genius, and I am very near completing it. As you know, I am also issuing a series of demands… but before I get to that, there is something I would like the three of you to witness."

A sudden wind blew through, sweeping Rook's greasy hair and trench-coat. His arm swept back too and he pointed at the Iris. Still eyeing him distrustfully, Wallace –followed by Tori and Ryoku, moved to the edge of the air barge and watched.

Far bellow them, at three doors began opening. They were large and black, hanger doors, spaced evenly around the dark ring of the Iris. It truly looked like a giant eye from above, a blue pupil of sea shining in the center. The whole construction was drifting slowly west, toward the seas south of Johto. Ryoku's tall hair rose a little higher in anticipation. He was fingering a pokeball in his pocket.

The hanger doors stopped moving with a series of loud clanks and a new noise filled the air… the rush of metal moving close to metal… something was rising up from the open gateways. Suddenly, three metal columns appeared, rising like upside-down pile drivers into the sky. Each was about thirty feet high, circular, and crouched at the top of each one was a massive bird.

Rook whispered something inside his mask. _Begin. _Sitting in a control tower far below him, his three trusted admins heard the command and began.

There was a crackle of energy, a burst of heat, and of cold as the birds took flight. Articuno, Zapdose, and Moltres rose, spiraling up over the metal ring. They each called out as they climbed… soon they were above the champions, but the admins made sure that each bird passed the air-barge once.

They had to show the champions a reason to fear.

Ryoku watched them, unsure of how the Storm's Eye had come across this sort of power… he had heard rumors from Victory Road, but believed none of them. There had been a powerful thunder storm and a strange attack on the radio tower, both in Lavender town… and fishermen had reported strange people tramping around the Seafoam Islands… had it been building for that long? Had all these events been overlooked? How had he missed the connections?

Tori watched the birds with an envious hunger. If she had those birds in her hands… she would be unstoppable, the greatest champion that the world had ever seen. She smiled and reached out a hand, as if to brush the legendary feathers. Her dark hair was blown away from eyes with their passing. To anyone looking, she would've seemed… anticipative.

Only Wallace looked on in fear. Only he knew what Rook could do with these birds… the power of the birds… it was not only their own. If these three were found and controlled by the same person… they could be used to open a much more powerful door.

With as much speed and grace as they had appeared, the birds began to fight, swooping fiercely at each other, striking with beaks, wings, and elemental energy. A fire ball was struck aside with a burst of wind, and flurry of thunderbolts were reflected down towards the deck of the Iris. Each bird was being mentally controlled by one admin… but their fighting wasn't senseless. There was a purpose, a prize (as Rook thought it). There was something the Storm's Eye intended to gain from this battle.

"Why are they fighting?" asked Ryoku, watching one bird tackle another, bring both twirling down like fallen leaves until they struck the metal deck and rushed up again.

"Because I tell them to," answered Rook with a hidden grin. "These three birds are implanted with command robots. Their brains are stimulated by tiny electronic and chemical pulses… I do not understand it entirely myself, but I do know that commands for certain attacks ban be given and the affected Pokemon will have no choice but to obey."

Tori's eyes widened. Even better: ultimate power that had would listen to her every command without question. She smiled. She wanted those birds…

"And why do you want them to fight?" asked Wallace. He already knew the answer.

"It is the only way to awaken true power… the King of Sea and Sky. It only comes when its children quarrel…"

"Lugia," said Wallace. "You're after Lugia?"

Rook chuckled and nodded lightly. "Now you see, don't you? You see the genius of the Director's plan? With the power of Lugia…"

"…Being controlled by those nano-bots," added Tori in awe.

"…We would have, at our disposal, one of the greatest powers nature has ever created! And with that power, I will reawaken the world to majesty and awe of nature. The world will be made right again."

There was a shocked silence when the only noise was the cawing and screeching of the Legendary Birds. Rook was scanning the water with some sort of device held to his eye. His Salamance grumbled like a stalled machine next to him. Wallace and Ryoku looked at each other nervously. Tori still stared on in envy.

After about twenty more minutes of battling, Wallace saw Rook's arms tense.

"It's here," he said, his voice dripping with excitement. "Lugia has come to silence its children…"

Suddenly, the water beneath the Iris exploded. A column… a cyclone of spinning water rose up through the center of the giant metal ring, rising higher and higher until it crumbled into white foam, soaking the Storm's fortress. And emerging from the cyclone…

A massive white bird, wings like splayed hands came forth and hovered impossibly over the seen. The champions and Rook all leaned out over the safety rail of the platform to see… it was the most beautiful thing any of them had ever seen. Indigo fins rose from behind Lugia's eyes, and there was a teardrop-shaped patch of the same color on its stomach. Its tail was long and thin, tipped with an array of dark spikes…

Colored light and mist swirled around it like a veil. The Pokemon had some sort of weird power welling up from within it… everyone present could feel that power. It was intoxicating… horrifying… lovely…

Lugia let out a beautiful song-like cry that filled the air for miles around. Some inner uncontrolled portion of the Legendary Birds still wanted to listen to that call and return safely home… but the metal spores in their brain were relentless. Instead of heading their steward, the Pokemon attacked.

Moltres lashed it with scorching wings, Articuno and Zapdose fired freezing beams and sparks… Lugia was knocked back, then pelted down through the air. It recovered and flew up, firing a beam of pure golden energy at its attackers, but it was clear who was hunting and who was being hunted. Rook whispered a command and the three birds pulled away from their prey, wheeling off into higher skies.

It was his turn to fight. Rook's gauntlet rushed open and he fired the dot of blue energy into his Salamance before any of the champions could see what had happened. Rook barked at his Pokemon to go, and it did, gliding down with wonderful speed at Lugia on blue-glowing wings.

Rook brandished the device on his arm at the surprised champions.

"Yet another secret of the Storm's Eye," he said as Salamance tore into Lugia's wing with its teeth behind him. "A Fourth-Strain Pokerus Activator; FSPA or Activator for short. You have all, no doubt, heard of Pokerus, but the usual variety that infects Pokemon is actually called Third Strain Pokerus. It elevates a Pokemon's strength and battling prowess and can easily be cultivated. The first two strains of the virus are rather weak and much more common than the third…

"Fourth Strain, though, is a bit of an enigma. You see, this type of virus lies dormant in every Pokemon, residing in most of its cells. When activated, the affected Pokemon is infinitely stronger, faster, and quick to heal from almost any injury. Unfortunately, this power come from virus which leeches power from the cells… so once it is awakened, the Pokemon has 100 seconds to live. Luckily, my scientists have developed a formula to activate this virus for approximately 90 seconds before forcing it to go through apoptosis –basically, cell suicide."

"So the virus kills itself off before it kills the Pokemon's cells?" Tori asked.

"Precisely. But for one minute and half, the Pokemon becomes a variable killing machine…"

He turned and nodded back at his Salamance. It was chasing the Legendary low across the water, and with a final burst of speed, caught it and forced it into the water. Other floating platforms were gathering around the battle, and dozens of pokeballs were thrown… Rook knew one would connect. The Legendary Bird cried out in pain and dove one final time into the water… Salamance aided it in its endeavor, rushing down at top speed and crashing into it.

Lugia screamed and hit the waves. Finally, a pokeball hit and the Legendary Bird vanished into the ball with a burst of red. Salamance caught the pokeball in its wicked claws and flew back up to Rook. He reached out and took the ball before turning back to his guests.

"So you see… it would be foolish not listen to me. I am not one to be trifled with."

Wallace looked gravely at the pokeball. All of his usual flamboyance was gone… his face had become a grim and worried husk. Tori resisted the urge to reach out and take the Legendary from Rook; her hand was staid only by fear of the Pokemon behind him.

"And what exactly are we supposed to listen to?" asked Ryoku.

"Here is my ultimatum," said Rook matter-of-factly; he pocketed the pokeball. "All of the cities in all of the lands which you steward must be abandoned in one week. If my demands are not met, I will destroy the entire Cities one at a time… regardless of whom or what is in them."

The Champions stared on in shock. When the silence broke, all of them were speaking at once, screaming questions, pleas, demands…

"Who the hell do you think you are?" shouted Ryoku.

"We can't do that! What are you saying Rook?" Wallace insisted.

"Surely you can't have that sort of power…" Tori was muttering.

Rook held up his hands calmly and bowed his head slightly.

"Please," he whispered. "One at a time. I will answer your questions in the order I heard them. First of all, Mr. Suzuki: I think I am the person issuing the threat here. Wallace: you can very easily do that. The people of earth have come to cling far too much to their devices and fuels. You are probably thinking it is a bit hypocritical of me to say this, but it is not so: the Iris below us runs completely off of solar and wind power, and as soon as we have cleansed the world of its industries and cities, the Iris will settle down and become a static… center of society."

"Whatever's left of society!" barked Wallace. "But Rook, we can't just tell millions of people to live their homes and… what, live in the forests? Hide in little huts on the mountains? You can't force people to leave… it would be genocidal."

"People are much more resilient than you think. They will find a way to survive no matter how grave the situation. And last, to answer Ms. LeTour, the power to destroy cities will come from a number of things. The three Minor Birds, certainly, but also Lugia, empowered by a FSPA and… another theory we're working on here at the Iris. With that power, no city or fortress could stand in our way."

The girl nodded thoughtfully and stepped back.

"I will give you one week to answer me… you know what I expect from all of you, and I will not change my proposition. The Director, through me, has made his demands and plan clear. I only wait for your answer now." Rook motioned to the men standing at each corner of the barge. "Escort them home."

"We will escort ourselves, thank you," snapped Wallace. He pulled out a pokeball and released a big, drifting Mantine, onto which the three champions climbed. Before Rook could say anything else, they were soaring away to the north, gliding on the wind rising from the sea.

(-o-)

"Ryoku, your house is nearest," said Wallace. "May we meet there? I believe there is much for us to discuss."

Ryoku nodded but said nothing. The events of the last few hours had stolen any words from his mouth, and thoughts from his head. They drifted along on kite-like wings over forest and prairie, until Mt. Silver rose into view. The sun was just lifting up over its white peak when they landed at the front door of Ryoku's cottage.

The three champions opened the door and moved inside in silence.


	26. Chapter 25: Fishing

Chapter 25: Fishing

**author's notes: **sorry it took so long for me to get this one out; school has been killer and then i was out of town, so i haven't had much time. but i've got one last push to the end of the year, so you'll have to wait a little longer for more. thanks a bundle for keeping up with this, and keep reviewing!

it's almost summer, and then i'll be able to finish this story. i'll make my email available on my profile for anyone who wants to contact me about trainer cards for th characters. that's all for now, so enjoy!

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* * *

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**Chapter 25: Fishing**

Blaine emerged from the cave of the central Seafoam Island, the cave where Articuno was supposed to live. He shook his head sadly at us as he came out. The Legendary bird was no longer there. That could only mean Rook had taken it…

Richard seemed only mildly bothered by any of this. He had constructed a makeshift fishing pole with a stick he'd picked up… none of us were quite sure where, and some string from his backpack. And it looked like he was reeling something in. My friend struggled against some great force on the other end of the line. Casey watched, sighing and shaking her head from time to time. Blaine ran over from the cave entrance just in time to see what Richard was catching.

I was surprised by how big of a Pokemon he'd caught on such a little line: a full grown Kingler was struggling out of the water, its spiny mouth still clamped around the portion of sandwich Richard had used as bate. It was his lunch, so Casey and I didn't care.

His Tangela was waiting, vines lifted slightly in anticipation. As soon as the crab Pokemon was on shore, it was swathed in a small jungle of vines. Its legs were coiled and constricted by blue vines, and Kingler was completely immobilized. Richard cast out a pokeball and caught it before it could struggle free. He smiled cheerily at us, but I don't think any of us shared his happiness.

We were all too worried about what Rook was doing.

It was only the night before that Koga had been injured and Rook escaped with Moltres. We'd only had to spend one night in the hospital… Koga wasn't so lucky. He was in critical condition and still on life support… the nurses thought he would be for a while, so we had to move on without him. Whatever Rook was doing, it had to be stopped at once.

I caught Casey crying late last night. She was ashamed of herself for giving Rook the ball containing Moltres, but we would've probably died if she hadn't… I think she felt really torn. Ambivalent, Matt would've said. I told that it wasn't her fault and that we would have done the same for her, but she just shook her head. She felt some other emotion, in addition to guilt. Something she couldn't or wouldn't share with me. I understood though. We weren't that close then.

"Our next course of action," said Blaine decisively. "Should be to track down this… what did you call it? Iris? We need to find the Storm's fortress and free the Legendary Birds. Power like theirs wasn't meant to be held by one person. I've had dealings with some of the birds in the past… you don't want to be on their bad sides. Tough customers."

I nodded slowly. Richard was still examining his new Pokemon obliviously. Sometimes I wondered if there was anything else he cared about…

"But how can we track something that's constantly moving through the sky?" asked Casey. It was the obvious question: and I don't think any of us had the answer.

"We've found it before by chance," I said. "Hell, Richard and I followed one of those Admin's helicopters right to it. And it must be pretty close, because they would have had to move to pick up Akila and Rogan and drop Rook off. He flew back to it last night, obviously, so it can't be too far…"

"Still," said Blaine with a sigh. "It could be just over the horizon in any direction. We can't just roam around trying to find it: that's stupid and wasteful… if only there was some way to locate one of the Storm's land bases… perhaps we could capture and interrogate one of their members…"

Blaine's mouth began to grumble furiously behind his mustache.

The others –the three of us- looked at each other, a Cheshire smile spreading from face to face.

"Blaine," I said, turning away from our little huddle to speak to the gym leader. "I think _we_ have a way."

(-o-)

Wallace slammed his fists down on the table so hard that Ryoku's teapot jumped an inch into the air. Tori rested her head on her knuckles and sighed. Her bangs blew out of her face as she did so, making her look almost as exasperated as the others.

Ryoku was pacing steadily around his little kitchen; his cottage was small, but all he needed. A kitchen and library downstairs, a loft above. Much to Tori's disgust, there was no bathroom, just a little outhouse with a crescent moon carved in the door out back. _For a Champion of two nations, he sure lives… simply._

Ryoku was thinking simply then as well.

"The first thing that comes to mind," he said, for something like the fourth time, "is to simply retaliate and attack that flying fortress of his. Surely Rook can't stand against all three of us."

Wallace shook his head yet again. "I keep telling you, Ryoku! It won't be just Rook. He and his little puppeteer of a director have a fucking _army _on that thing, not to mention commanding admins that aren't exactly pushovers. There are _three_ of us, Ryoku. Three. We can't take all of them no matter how strong we are."

Tori crossed her arms on the table and laid her head on them like a pillow. She didn't seem to care much about what happened, but she was, in fact, in very deep thought. She always thought this way, seeming oblivious and distant.

"I wish Matt was here," mumbled Ryoku. "He was always good at figuring this kind of shit out."

Wallace sat completely still for a second, letting those words wash over him.

"Of course," he said, his voice shaking in awe.

"Of course what?" Tori asked. She raised a thin eyebrow in question.

"We could go to the Hermes." Wallace was already up, walking toward Ryoku.

"The who?" the other champion asked.

"The Hermes is sort of an anti-team," said Tori to the others' surprise. "A collection of individuals who recognize the threat which Pokemon organizations pose to the world. They are the ones who dissolved the Rockets and a few others whenever they got to be too strong."

"No," said Ryoku, "The Rockets were stopped by the Heroes. The Color Knights."

Tori shook her head. "The first few times they were, but the most recent –and final- surge of their power was quelled by the Hermes. They've managed to break down most of teams who've tried to claim Rockets' territory since, but… I don't know, I guess they missed one."

Wallace was nodding, the gears in his head turning more quickly.

"Then the Hermes would want to be involved. They will help us, I just know it." Another thought, this one much more depressing, congealed in Wallace's head. He looked grimly at Ryoku. "My friend, there is something else I must explain to you. Back in the flying fortress… you heard me mention 'the late Matt Cartright'?"

Ryoku looked at his fellow champion, his face staying impossibly still. "It's not true, is it? Matt's not really dead…"

"I'm sorry," confirmed Wallace. Both men hung their heads. "He was killed about three months ago in an airship accident. I've heard rumors that the Storm's Eye was involved… it might even have been Rook who killed him. Were you friends? I'm sorry."

"We got our starters on the same day," growled Ryoku in rage. His eyes were starting to turn red so that even Tori felt a little sorry for him. "We traveled together for a while and fought a lot. He beat me the first time I competed in the Indigo Challenge but lost to the champion. He disappeared after that… I became the Kanto Champion the next year."

Ryoku grabbed a coat from the wall, motioning for the others to join him.

"I ran into him one more time after that, in Johto. He said he was sorry for abandoning me, and that he was involved with some new people… he told me how to find him if I ever needed to. He told me how to find the Hermes."

(-o-)

Blaine's huge Aerodactyl flew us northwest, to Viridian City; that was where the nearest Storm hideout was. We followed the winding, sky-scraper-walled streets to a warehouse on the southern edge of town.

Blaine looked dubiously down at the paper I had given him, then back up at the warehouse. It looked empty, with several windows smashed and badly rusted corrugated-iron walls.

"This it?"

"Should be," I said with a nod, taking back the paper. I summoned Lickitung and took a step forward, only to have Blaine press me back.

"Going in without thinking it out first could be disastrous," he muttered. I shook his hand off my chest but listened to what he had to say. "We need to carefully plan out our attack. Have your other attempts against the Storm's Eye been this reckless?"

I thought steamily about this for a few seconds. I hadn't gone into the base in Celadon City with any sort of plan… I really wasn't sure what I was going to do. And Richard and I had literally just charged into the sky after Casey… a slight plan there, but most would've laughed at the naivety of it. I was just about to retort to Blaine when Richard did the job for me.

"Yeah, pretty much," he said, calling out Charizard.

"I wasn't there for almost all of them," said Casey, sounding for a second like she was defending me… no such luck. "But yes, it would appear there wasn't much thought behind any of them."

She and Blaine called out their Pokemon at once: Totodile and Ninetails. I glared at them and turned back at Blaine.

"Alright," I admitted. "I had no plans before… and not really much of one now. But we don't really need one, do we? Go in, subdue the guards, question them, and go to the Iris. Easy."

"Wrong," said Blaine, poking his finger at my forehead. I stumbled back at the gesture but the gym leader continued his verbal assault. "A plan is always the first thing you need when doing anything. Learn that now, if you haven't already. Without a plan, you are flying blind; you could be more of a liability than an aide. Get it? Good."

Blaine sighed. I got the feeling he was rolling his eyes behind his dark sunglasses.

"So," he continued. "I believe that our best option is to send in a small team –two people with one or two Pokemon- to infiltrate the warehouse and capture an operative. Threaten and question him, or find a database of some sort where you can locate information on the Iris. Some sort of contact frequency, travel logs or charts. Anything. Now, as for the team, if the others deem you competent enough, Ian, I would be glad to accompany you in while Richard and Casey cause a distraction from the front."

"What's your logic on that decision?" I asked.

Blaine shrugged. "You and I have chosen Pokemon with close range attacks while the others have chosen those with longer range attacks."

"Sounds good to me," said Richard, inching closer to Casey.

"I guess," said Casey, inching away from Richard.

"It's settled then," said Blaine, clapping his hands together. "Let's go fishing for Stormies."

(-o-)

Blaine's Ninetails soldered a hole in the back door with Flamethrower and the two of his slipped in through the molten hole. We were behind a stack of crates, luckily, completely shielded from the rest of the warehouse. I could hear voices chatting in the distance, and then…

"Fire Blast, Charizard!"

The building was rocked as a fireball slammed into its front. I heard Casey shout something incomprehensible at the Stormies to continue the assault. There was the sound of footsteps ringing out on concrete flooring as the grunts that had apparently been sitting in various places around the warehouse ran for the front… I hoped there would be a few left for me and Blaine.

I looked at the gym leader, who gave me a rough nod, and the two of us pounced around the corner. The warehouse was empty, all of the operatives that had been in it were gone. And… there wasn't anything else in the room. It was big, metal, and essentially empty. There were a few crates stacked around the wall, but everything else seemed to have been packed into smaller boxes and was waiting in a rough circle at the room's center. It was almost like they were packing up to leave… but why would they do that?

I heard enraged shouts from Richard and Casey outside, and without looking at Blaine for approval, I ran outside to give them whatever help I could. The sight that met me as I slammed out the front door was hardly what I expected.

A Pokemon, an average sized Teddiursa, was holding off both Richard's and Casey's Pokemon. The guards stood behind it, all looking expectantly at the sky. The little bear-like Pokemon was glowing blue. I started swearing in my head as I ran forward, Lickitung scrambling behind.

"Rollout!" I shouted… but nothing happened. Lickitung didn't curl into a little pink sphere and charge at the Teddiursa, which was Slashing away at the others' Pokemon. Lickitung looked at me balefully and shrugged. Did he forget the move? "Come on now, Rollout!"

Lickitung scrunched up his face and glared with beady eyes at the glowing Pokemon… but Rollout still didn't come. Instead, a panicked look filled his eyes and Lickitung's pink jaws sprang open, emitting a jet of fire. What the hell?

The Teddiursa saw it coming and pirouetted to the side. Charizard took the chance to lunge at it with a Wing Attack. The little Pokemon was thrown back, but it sprang back up unharmed. But how did Lickitung learn to use a fire attack? I thought back… it must've been the day we were on the Iris. He swallowed some stones and TMs… maybe he activated one? Hopefully just one…

"Ok… Flamethrower?" I ventured. Lickitung nodded and fired another jet of oily flame at the little Pokemon. It covered its face and let the flame push it back. I didn't know how long the blue glow would last… but it looked like we might be in for a long hard fight.

Casey attacked with Surf and Richard's Pokemon took to the air. Lickitung bounced over to join them, and for a second, Teddiursa seemed surrounded… with a burst of blue stars, all of our Pokemon were thrown back onto the asphalt. It continued the Swift attack, focusing it into a beam straight at Charizard. The fire Pokemon was battered back across the ground by the relentless attack… Lickitung made it up and attacked with Slam. At least that attack still worked.

Suddenly, the participants of the battle were distracted by a noise from above. A helicopter was coming in illegally. It was rushing by, low over the tall buildings that surrounded the warehouse. It came to a landing on top of the Storm's base's roof. The men standing across the alley from us looked relieved and loped up the fire escape on the warehouses side. Teddiursa covered their escape with bursts of Swift stars.

"Follow them up!" Richard ordered, jumping onto the back of his injured Pokemon. It looked reluctant, but roared an affirmative nonetheless and flapped up.

The men on the roof looked around in panic… I guess they weren't going back down for their stuff. They piled into the chopper haphazardly as Richard and his Pokemon landed nearby. The Teddiursa was still holding Casey and I back, despite our best efforts. Totodile was pounded in the chest by a Megapunch… and it seemed more than just Rollout had been replaced by a new move. Lick was gone, a fast moving, jumping attack (I later learned it was Arial Ace) in its place, and we didn't know how to take advantage of either of the new moves yet.

Blaine suddenly burst out of the building panting, his Ninetails right behind him. I guess he had been going through the stuff when he heard the helicopter land. He called out his Aerodactyl and was about to take off into the sky when the helicopter suddenly jolted off, leaving Teddiursa behind. Richard was just approaching the chopper when it happened, and the force of the takeoff pushed him back into his Pokemon.

Aerodactyl made a move to follow the chopper, but Teddiursa leapt onto its back, hacking away roughly. The helicopter disappeared behind a building and, with shocking suddenness, Teddiursa stopped glowing. Aerodactyl flipped it onto the ground and roared at it; the fossil Pokemon's back was bloodied from its attacked, and there was a seriously pissed look in its eyes. It stalked forward to finish off the little bear Pokemon… but something was wrong.

There was a sad, confused look in its eyes as the Teddiursa realized it had been abandoned by its trainer. It suddenly began squealing and crying so loudly and pathetically that Aerodactyl halted and glowered reluctantly down at it.

"Don't hurt it!" screamed Casey. She rushed forward and scooped up the adorable Pokemon that had been attacking her a second before. Richard looked down at her exasperatedly.

"What are you doing?" he called down angrily. "Finish it! If you won't, then I will; that stupid little thing hurt my Charizard!"

"Don't you see it?" said Casey. "Whatever was driving to attack us left with that blue light. Rook's Pokemon glowed like that when it was slaughtering you guys back at Cinnabar. I bet that its some kind of… I don't know, upgrade, that increases the Pokemon's power and will to fight. But look at it: there's nothing wrong with it now."

I had to admit she was right. The little Pokemon was looking lovingly up at Casey with wet eyes. It stuck a little white claw in its mouth like a child sucking its thumb and curled up a little tighter in her arms. Lucky. Richard and I scowled at it distrustfully but I don't think it saw.

Blaine walked over to us, returning his Aerodactyl as he did so. He sighed and sat down on a handy stoop.

"Now what?"

(-o-)

In Violet City, Johto, the three Champions were ascending.

It was a slow and tedious one, but an ascent nonetheless. They were in a glass walled elevator, which made Tori extremely queasy (she was highly claustrophobic), in the Violet City Gym, on their way to visit Faulkner.

Although Ryoku had been the Champion of Johto for nearly four years, he had never met with Faulkner for more than a few seconds in passing. Now that Matt was dead… there was only one thing Ryoku could do: follow his old friend's instructions.

Faulkner was an informer and small time member of the Hermes. He was the gatekeeper, the one who determined who would speak with his superiors. He was waiting for the three Champions when they got out of the elevator, hands meshed delicately in front of him. He scrunched up his fan-boy face at them in something resembling a distrust worthy smile.

"Can I help you, gentlemen, lady?" he purred.

"Matt Cartright told me to tell you that the codeword is Wingfoot. Now that he's dead, I need you to accept that and take me to whoever's in charge of the Hermes. Now." Snapped Ryoku.

He glared at Faulkner with frustration at his lack of speed as the gym leader considered this. Finally, the leader smirked at the three Champions and said, "Alright. Follow me, if you please."

The three Champions moved with silent determination. They staid close behind Faulkner as he strutted back into the dark.


	27. Chapter 26: Wingfoot

Chapter 26: Wingfoot

author's note: IIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIII"M BAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAACK.

ok, thing's have been really hectic for me since school got out. i was in japan for a few weeks and my life changed and i almost quit writing this story, but i just like it too much to do that. so here it is, the next chapter. expect more frequent updates from now on. review if your glad i'm back. YEAH!

* * *

**Chapter 26: Wingfoot**

Faulkner, his hair fluttering in light breeze that was flowing from somewhere in the dark, walked forward. He walked primly, Ryoku thought, but he said nothing. They needed Faulkner now. Though, Ryoku thought again, they were putting a lot a trust into him.

The three champions were following the gym leader through pure darkness. None of them could see a thing in any direction, though there was a strange wind coming from somewhere ahead.

After what felt like hours, a square of light appeared. It was a threshold some hundred feet ahead… it seemed impossible. Faulkner's gym building was in a skyscraper and Ryoku knew it wasn't this wide… maybe they had been walking in a gently spiral. Ryoku couldn't say.

Regardless, Faulkner led the three champions to the door and opened it. As soon as he did, the champions knew the where the wind had come from.

They were now standing on a balcony; it was narrow and seemed to encompass the whole building. but… Faulkner's private room (the one they had been in just before) was on the top floor just below the roof. This balcony was at least three stories below the roof… so they had been moving in a spiral, and a slowly descending one at that.

"You see," said Faulkner, shrugging. "We've been waiting for you for a while now. More exactly, our leader has been expecting you. This way, please."

None of the champions said anything. The three of them followed the gym leaders around the building… and something came into view on the other side: there was a hot air balloon waiting for them, large and red with a closed cabin. It was attached to Faulkner's gym via a narrow gangway.

When they reached the entrance to the gangway, Faulkner stepped passed it, turned, and gestured for the three champions to continue on to the balloon.

"This is where I get off. This balloon will take you where you need to go. I'm afraid you'll just have to take my word on this one."

He smiled cheekily… the champions looked amongst themselves questioningly. Could they trust this strange little gym leader? Ryoku spoke to silence the others' doubts.

"Matt would've trusted him. We _need_ to trust him. Let's go."

He walked across the gangway (no easy feat –it was very thin and had only a shin-high safety rail) and opened the door of the balloon's cabin. Inside was a comfy little room… very little room. There were three soft chairs arranged in a circle, and some sort of little communication module standing like an altar in the cabin's center. Ryoku shrugged and sat down in one of the chairs. Wallace and then Tori followed, and Faulkner waved goodbye and beamed as the wind outside shut the door.

"What now?" asked Tori, looking around lazily.

With a sudden lurch, the gangway pulled back from the balloon. The champions watched through the panoramic window that surrounded the whole cabin. Faulkner gestured one final, exaggerated farewell and walked off.

Below the champions, an engine hummed to life and began directed them along some pre-planned course.

The balloon began its long, slow ascent to… wherever they needed to go.

(-o-)

The balloon rose until Violet city was a gray smudge on the ground below. To the champions, they seemed to be going nowhere… but they couldn't see straight up.

A massive blimp drifted in and came to a stop just above the balloon. Cables and flying Pokemon went out, and before long, the two airships had connected; none of the champions felt a thing until a hovering platform descended and connected to the door of the cabin. There was no one on the platform, but it had safety railing, so Wallace deemed it safe enough for them to get out and onto the platform.

It carried them up to the blimp (which all three promptly noticed) and connected to a holding bay at the bottom of the carriage, where they got off. This time, there was someone there to greet them, and to everyone's surprise, they knew who it was.

"Good afternoon," said the man, his short blonde hair flapping in the updrafts of the open bay doors before him. "I've been waiting for you to come see me for a while, and I'd love to chat here and now, but we don't have much time. Follow me please…"

"Wait!" said Tori. "Your twerpy little guard and 'elevator system' I could take, but then we get here and you're just gonna run off and expect us to follow. We barely know who you are!"

"I'm Volkner," the man said plainly. "Final Gym leader of Sinnoh; you know very well who I am, Ms. LeTour. I work for you."

"I know that," said Tori. For the first time since the other champions had met her, she looked exasperated. "But who are you really? Where are we, and why have you brought us here? You seem to be behind these Hermes guys, and we've come to you for help, but we're the champions of the four regions, for crying out loud! If no one else does, we deserve an explanation."

Volkner stared on and blinked thoughtfully. "Why do you think I wan you to follow me upstairs? It's freezing out here, and it'll take a while so I, personally, would like to be somewhere warm. You?"

Tori was silenced, and the three champions and gym leader walked up into the bowels of the airship.

(-o-)

"Volk!" someone called from above. The champions heard the clatter of feet against the grating of the stairway. There was a whirl of brown hair and a thin, bony young woman in short white dress appeared at the top of the stairs. The front of hair blew strangely upward, and she looked slightly surprised to see guests on her airship.

"Who're they?" she asked, looking at Volkner.

"These, Jasmine," he replied, "are our guests." He indicated them one by one. "Ryoku, Wallace and Tori."

Suddenly, the girl straightened up, a look of apology spreading through her big eyes. "I'm terribly sorry about that… we weren't expecting you so soon. I don't know who else I thought it would be… well, anyways: welcome to the Good Ship Icarus."

Jasmine turned back to Volkner and looked like she was about to speak, but Tori cut her off coolly.

"Again: shouldn't we know about this? The Champions, surely, should have a right to know that their gym leaders are part of a secret organization…"

"We're really more of an anti-organization," correct Volkner.

"Whatever!" Tori shrieked. It was the first time any of them had ever seen her loose her icy coolness. "The thing is, if anyone should have known, it should have been us! As Champions, we are responsible for the wellbeing of everyone in our regions, and this secret war you have with the Storm could have big repercussions."

"Two things," said Jasmine, who had joined them at the bottom of the metal stairs. "The first: it hasn't been a war up until now. More like a cold war, really. Lots of secret agents, double crosses and espionage. That sort of thing. Second: we're telling you about this now, so you should be happy with that. Telling us what we were supposed to do now doesn't give us the ability to go back and fix it. Look to the future."

"There are eight gym leaders involved," Volkner explained. "Two from each region. I have a feeling you'll ask, so I might as well tell you. In Kanto, Brock and Sabrina represent us –we're going to meet them now. In Johto, it's Jas here and Faulkner. Hoen is Wynona and Norman. Finally, in Sinnoh, it's me and Byron. Does that help at all?"

"No," said Wallace blankly.

"What would help, I think, would be if you told us what is happening now," said Ryoku.

Volkner tapped his temple. "Just waiting for the go-ahead from you. Follow me please. I'll explain when we get there."

(-o-)

The five came to the bay windows of the carriage. Below them was eastern Johto, Mt. Silver rising, lonely, to the north. Far in the distant, glimmering against the darkening edge of the horizon was Viridian City. Ryoku was surprised to see no interments, or even a steering wheel in the carriage. That must be somewhere else… a ship needs a steering wheel, right?

"Something is happening there, as we speak," said Volkner, pointing to the cluster of lights. Brock was in the area, and he observed every Storm base in the city packing up and bolting. Something is going to happen in Viridian, and whatever it is, the Stormies don't want to be around when it happens. We've observed some strange activity that we can attribute to them over the past few months, so we've been on edge, and something tells me that you three can confirm my suspicions."

Quickly, between the three of them, the Champions related what they had learned about Rook, the Director, and their plan. Volkner nodded the whole while.

"It's good that we are ready, then," said the gym leader. Then, he tilted his head back and shouted upward, "Icarus, full speed for Viridian. And signal the entourage while you're at it."

A green light attached to the ceiling blinked twice, and the ship began powering forward toward the City.

"It's coming together now," said Jasmine in an awed voice.

"They're going to attack Viridian," muttered Wallace. "That's why they left the city. It makes sense –the eighth gym and the Pokemon league are located there. But… when do you think they'll attack?"

The light overhead flashed again, this time red. Volkner whistled in response, and the panoramic windows glinted white and became three individual screens. On each one, Rook's metal face was fiercely displayed.

"I think _now_," Tori replied through her teeth.


	28. Chapter 27: The Message

Chapter 27: the Message

**Chapter 27: the Message**

We checked into a hotel as night fell. Blaine took one room, Richard, Casey, and me the other. It was a nice place (Blaine was paying, so it definitely wasn't a rattrap hotel like we were used to), with a high view of the sparkling city. Viridian City wasn't neon like Cerulean: its skyline was all modest golds, interspersed with dots of bright orange and red. There was something more… elegant about it.

Blaine was sitting in our room with us. "Us" being Richard, the gym leader, and me. Casey was in the shower. The three of us were eating the room-service meal that had been brought up for us. The TV was tuned to the news; we were trying to find out if the Storm had made any moves obvious enough to be picked up on by the media.

They hadn't yet, but that was all about to change.

There was a rumble in the sky outside, like thunder. Richard got up from his plate and went to look out the window. Whatever he saw, it scared the hell out of him.

"Guys," he whispered. "I think you need to see this."

Blaine and I looked at each other, then tumbled out of our chairs and rushed to the window to see…

There was a screen in the sky. Actually, there appeared to be about four, each the size of two football fields. The four screens were hanging from a giant ring of black metal hanging in the sky. As each second passed, more and more spotlights were aiming up to highlight the Iris in their stare.

But all of that wasn't nearly as horrifying as what was on the screens: 80 yards high, Rook's masked face was staring down at Viridian City.

"That's not even the half of it," said a voice from behind us.

I turned slowly to see Casey sitting on the bed, her hair still stringy and wet from her shower. The remote was in her hand, and though she pressed the channel-change button repeatedly, the image on the TV stayed the same.

It was Rook's face, just like on the screens outside. Did that mean… every TV in town, maybe in the country, maybe in the world, was showing this image? Whatever Rook was trying to say, a lot of people were going to see it.

"Greetings," he said, and we could hear his voice both on the TV speakers and booming from the sky outside. And his message began.

(-o-)

_Greetings. My name is John Rook, and I am the Head Administrator of the Storm's Eye. I am here to liberate the world._

_You see, for far too long now, modern devices and technologies have taken over out lives, and it is taking a toll on our planet. We are so reliant on our machines that most humans could not survive without the things they take for granted. Well, that is all going to end now. The world is about to be reborn, and things will be as they should: with nature being the most majestic and powerful thing on this planet. Out planet cannot fight for itself, so we shall fight for it._

_I am issuing our demands now: I have decided to start with Viridian City, the greatest conglomerate of humanity… perhaps in the entire world. When the sun comes up tomorrow, an exodus will begin. Every living person must move out of this City and find new life in the rejuvenating wild. This request is a simple one, but if it is not complied with completely…_

_Then the entire City will be destroyed by dawn tomorrow. In fact, even when you comply, the City must still be destroyed to rid the world from the grip of the unclean technology here. _

_I am aware that it will take more than simply one day to purge all human life from the City. With that in mind, once I see the population leaving Viridian, I will wait until the flow of people stops to obliterate it. I will give you all time to escape, and then I will liberate this land from beneath the buildings and a little more of the earth will become clean again. But this is only the beginning. I broadcast this throughout the world because the world will be next. Once Viridian City has been… restored, the Storm's Eye will not rest until every other City in the world shares its fate. This is a great revival, a romantic revolution. Accept it, or you will perish with the rest of your precious machines._

_But, alas, I have no doubt that many of you are dubious as to my ability to do what I speak of. I assure you, Viridian City, that I "walk the walk" as easily as I "talk the talk". You see, I have planned a little demonstration for you. We'll see if we can't change the minds of the skeptics. _

(-o-)

The whole while that Rook had been speaking, the Iris was drifting slowly west. There were people in the streets now –we could see them from our hotel room window- shouting protest. Many had summoned Pokemon.

Lot of good that'd do.

It was clear that whatever Rook had in mind, he had planned it well. He wasn't going to break his promise on convincing the skeptics. He had me convinced from the start.

After a moment, spotlights jetted down from the Iris, illuminating a structure on a hillside just west of town: the Pokemon League Building. The epicenter of the Pokemon world. Though it was only the flagship of Kanto's Pokemon League, it still represented the entire Pokemon world. It was the spirit of training and battling. It was our spirit.

A blue glow appeared up on the Iris. Something was happening… it was hard to see what, but I was pretty sure I knew. Rook was using that weird blue light-power on something… something was going to attack the building.

Suddenly, the glow was magnified a hundredfold. The blue glow became bright enough to light up the building below more than the spotlights. When it shone through the center of the Iris, it became brighter. There was some kind of focuser in side of the ring, some kind of lens.

A lens of ice.

Is that what he needed Articuno for?

But any thoughts of that were thrown from my head as a bit of a distraction came to my attention. Oh, nothing big really: just the world breaking.

(-o-)

Ian was right about the lens: it was made of Articuno's ice. What he was completely clueless about was the lens' purpose.

Rook stood on a metal platform overlooking the massive lens below. The legendary bird had to blast it again every few minutes to make sure it didn't melt in the summer night's heat. The three legendary birds were each perched on section of railing around the Iris. They were under the Storm's control –there was no reason to keep them in their cage. The same reasoning was used for Lugia.

The silver Pokemon circled lazily in the sky overhead, its control spores linking it directly to Rook. The legendary's skin glowed a soft blue, but it was almost imperceptible against the great indigo sky. The masked man smiled confidently immediately after finishing his speech. Not that anyone could see his smile…

The smile faded (both because of his previous thought and the seriousness of the moment) and Rook turned back to the City. At night, Cities could be rather pretty. But that didn't make them any less of the threat to mother earth.

Rook looked up into the air. "It is time," he whispered excitedly. "Strike now."

Above, Lugia cried out in answer and began spiraling up into the air. It moved agonizingly slowly. Rook was intoxicated with its ease… maybe he wanted it to go slow. Maybe he wanted to enjoy this.

Finally, the legendary Pokemon flipped over, so its back was to the ground and dove straight down, toward the lens.

"Aeroblast," whispered Rook.

There was a flash of brilliant golden light. An arrow of energy flew from the descending Pokemon's mouth and jabbed into the lens… where it grew, yellow light filling the ice completely with its radiance. The lens shattered as it released the light. A column of exploding air as wide as the Iris's center manifested, completely evaporating the League building, the lens, and melting a huge crater into the hillside.

The blade of light vanished as quickly as it had appeared, like a knife being sheathed immediately after dealing the death blow.

The only thing left of the Pokemon League Building was a pit as deep as a skyscraper, glowing orange along the sides. Rook smiled and called his new Pokemon back to him. Lugia landed powerfully next to him and crowed in victory. The cameras –which had been broadcasting Lugia's attack over the last few minutes- turned back to him, and Rook delivered his final message to the people of the world.

"That was a 1/6th power blast. By adjusting the lens, or simply ordering a stronger blow, I can and will turn entire cities into ashes. So heed this warning, people of the world. Forsake your meaningless lives and find rejuvenation in the wild. Go now –for soon there will be no time at all."

And with that, every light in Viridian City flickered out.

(-o-)

"Well," I said, pacing the hotel room. It had given us a perfect view of what Rook had done to the League. I just hope that all of the staff and Elite Four and Champions had gotten out in time… surely there must've been some sort of warning? "Now we know where to find the Iris."

"Did you notice," asked Blaine. "Rook used Lugia to attack the building. Lugia! It hasn't been seen in years, and the only way he could have found it would be by ensuing a fight between Articuno, Zapdos, and Moltres."

Casey suddenly burst into tears, and both Richard and I sat down with her to comfort her.

"It's all my fault!" she wailed. "I never should have given him that fucking pokeball. Now… Rook's just gonna do whatever he wants. Everything he worked for… it's failed."

"No, I think everything he worked for has succeeded," corrected Richard. "Thanks to us."

I shot Richard a look before looking questioningly at Casey, but she only shook her head. She hadn't meant Rook when she talked about failure.

"Casey, there's no way you could have known Rook would use Moltres like that. It's Ok, it really is, so calm down. Crying is not going to stop Rook."

"The idiot's right," said Blaine sighing. "It looks we're going to have to fight this one out. You kids ready for a brawl?"

"Oh yeah!" shouted Richard, already grabbing a pokeball.

I stood up and nodded sternly to show I was in too. We all looked back at Casey.

"Well," she said, after sobbing for another moment. "You're not just gonna leave me here and go take all of the fun for yourselves, are you?"

We all laughed. It was the last time we'd laugh together like that for a while… possibly forever. None of us knew what awaited up on that flying fortress, but we were all ready to find out.

And this time, Rook wouldn't get away.

And I sure as hell wasn't about to lose to him.


	29. Chapter 28: Convergance

Chapter 28: Convergence

**Chapter 28: Convergence**

Night.

Somehow, it seemed like more than just darkness. There was thickness to the sky. Like smoke. Like despair. We could feel it as we came out onto the roof of the hotel. There, Blaine called out his massive Aerodactyle, and we climbed on slowly.

All of our Pokemon seemed ready to fight. Casey had left her new Tediursa wrapped up in a blanket back in our room. Despite that fact that it was a spoiled, winy little creature, I hoped that we'd be back for it. Hell, at that point, I hoped we would make it back period.

"It's risky," said Blaine. "But I think the sooner we strike, the better. Rook will be expecting anyone who can fight back to be planning, possibly fleeing. The last thing Rook will be expecting, or somewhere down on the list, anyways, will be an attack, especially one from us."

That said, his Aerodactyle took off into the sky and rose above the searchlights. We were hidden in the highest shadows, as high as or higher than the Iris. The city below us looked fragile in the dark. Just a bunch of lights and buildings and big hunks of metal… none of which stood a chance against Rook's super-killer Pokemon laser thing. And the people… I couldn't let all of this be reduced to a smoldering crater. The whole world couldn't wind up like that!

Casey was done crying. I could see it in her eyes. She was determined to finish this, maybe as much as I was. I think there was something she needed to resolve, something that she had to do too.

Whatever it was, I hoped she got to do it.

(-o-)

Two other zeppelins joined them in flight, each presumably carrying more Hermes operatives. Ryoku wanted to ask Volkner or Jasmine about Matt… maybe he could have learned something that would have helped him.

But there was no time.

During the night, all of the champions had seen the flash of gold on the western horizon… a few moments later, Volkner informed them that the Pokemon League Building had been destroyed by the Storm's flying fortress… by the time the airship came into visual contact with Viridian City, the Iris could be seen as well, hovering like a hungry mouth over the lights of the city.

"How long will it be until we get there?" Wallace asked, his impatience clear.

"Approximately one hour," said Jasmine. "I know you are in hurry Wallace, so are we all. But from what I hear from our other operatives, we won't be the only ones attacking the Iris. What we are about to witness will be a convergence of several factions, and it is impossible to see what the outcome will be."

Wallace was silenced.

"Well then," said Tori in mock optimism. "We'll just have make sure we come out on top."

Ryoku chuckled. "I guess so."

(-o-)

There were patrols of bird Pokemon whirling around the Iris. Aerodactyle rose higher up, to where the air wasn't easy to breath, and glided over the flying fortress. No one had seen us yet… maybe we would get in without trouble after all.

Some contradictory fate must've heard my thoughts, because no sooner had I thought that then did three large shadows rise from darkness and fly behind us.

Blaine whispered to his Pokemon and ordered it to fly beyond the Iris and slowly circle back so we could fight. It would be took risky for Aerodactyle to battle with all of us on its back, so fighting off these airborne foes would be up to Richard.

As we came around, u-turning back so that the three Pokemon following us came into view, Richard released Charizard into the sky. A Scyther and two Murkrows.

It happened quickly: Charizard sprang into the sky like an orange cloud and glided forth… only to be stopped by Scyther, which had moved in to intersect him before he could attack. The bug Pokemon's scythe-claw slid through the air, coming dangerously close to Charizard's throat.

The fire Pokemon quickly pulled in his wings and plummeted down, out of Scyther's range. He looped back into flight a few yards below, and came up with a powerful Flamethrower that sent Scyther buzzing off in fear. The Murkrow weren't as intimidated. They latched onto Charizard –one on each side- and began witling away at him with small strikes… Scyther appeared, out of the darkness to deliver a Slash to Charizard's back. The fire Pokemon was struggling, but he wouldn't be able to stay up if he was hit by another attack like that.

It was risky, but there was only one thing I could do: I had to help Richard. He was out numbered, and even if I didn't have a flying type, there still might have been something I could do…

I pulled two Pokeballs from my belt and pressed their activation buttons. Starme and Lickitung appeared.

"Starme, use Rapid Spin to stay in the air. Lickitung, try to hold on."

Starme leapt forth, quickly becoming a purple blur in the night. Its red gemstone glowed, illuminating its arms, which spun like helicopter blades. Lickitung looked pleadingly at me. Poor guy probably thought I was crazy. This idea was pretty crazy, but I had a feeling it would work. Probably.

With a little nudge from me, Lickitung hopped onto Starme's gem, standing on the point of his one big toe. He looked a little unsteady at first, but finally, after a moment, equilibrium was achieved. Lickitung looked back at me and nodded confidently.

"Flamethrower!" Lickitung's attack came from behind, striking one of the Murkrow and combusting its feathers. The bird Pokemon panicked and let go of its prey, falling down to the lights below.

"Are you crazy?" Blaine screamed from ahead of me. I looked over to see him staring in disbelief at my Pokemon. His mustache twitched, though I couldn't tell whether it was from anger or just the passing wind.

"It's possible," I called back. "But I think it helps at times like these."

I looked back at Richard and nodded. He nodded back with a smile, and we returned to the battle.

Charizard had already thrown off its other avian attacker, and was lunging at Scyther… the bug Pokemon was just too fast for it, though, and managed to stay out of its grasp. Starme whirled in, bearing Lickitung, and another idea came to mind. I shouted it to Richard, who nodded… I just hoped we would both be fast enough…

Charizard fly to the side, turning Scyther's attention in a different direction. My two Pokemon stayed behind, flanking Scyther… the bug Pokemon looked between its two foes and decided that Charizard posed the biggest threat. It turned its eyes on him…

Big mistake.

"Arial Ace!" I called out. Lickitung jumped forward, vanishing with a pink blur. He hit Scyther hard in the back, dropping him down. The force of the impact changed Lickitung's trajectory –he was now going up. Charizard rose a little higher, pirouetted and caught my Pokemon on his back.

Finally, the fire Pokemon pumped out one last blast of flame that caught Scyther dead on and sent it spinning to the ground. We returned our Pokemon, I got a cautious nod of approval from Blaine, and we began our descent… onto the Iris.

(-o-)

Aerodactyle returned to its Pokeball over a shadowy stretch of fortress, and we dropped the remaining feet. It was possible that we had been spotted… most of the Iris' searchlights were turned toward the ground, but that didn't mean they would miss every giant flying Pokemon that came through their airspace.

So we had to move. The four of us ran down the walkways and stairs that took us to the outer edge of the circle –that's where the least amount of activity seemed to be.

"So," said Blaine, as we crouched in the shadow of a small, square structure. "Rook is somehow using Lugia's power to destroy cities…that means that Rook, somehow or another, is controlling Lugia. If we take Rook down -subdue him, get him off here, or whatever- then he can't use Lugia…"

"There's someone else," said Casey suddenly, surprising us all. "There's another person in charge here, higher up than Rook, I just know there is. Don't ask how. _H_e's the one we should be going after. Rook's just a figurehead… a pawn. There's a Director, and he's the one we need to find."

"I think she' right," I said, remembering something. "When I broke into one of the Storm's bases, there was a paper that said that Rook was only Head Administrator. He probably carries out the orders, but the one giving orders…"

"The Director," Casey interjected.

"Yeah, the Director. Well, he's probably the one in control of Lugia. And much as I want to go after Rook and take him down, I think the Director is the one we're after."

Blaine seemed to vanish into thought. "But it could still be Rook. There's no way to be sure, one way or another… it could be either one, in fact. We lose the element of surprise the moment we attack, so we can't attack both…"

"Yes we can," said Richard. "We just split into two groups… I mean, how strong can they be? If we go two against one, we've got a pretty good chance, eh?"

"I suppose…" said Blaine. "That's all we can do, then. Volunteers for Rook?"

I wanted, almost more than anything, to raise my hand… but I had a feeling that Casey would be going after the Director, and she would need me more there. I could let Richard and Blaine at least start the fight… I just wanted to finish my battle quickly so I could get down and fight Rook for myself. And if I didn't get to Rook? Well, I'd just have to settle for taking down his boss.

He beat my brother, I beat his master. Maybe that would be a fair trade…

When no one raised their hand, Richard and Blaine nodded at each.

"We'll take Rook, then."

"He'll be in the center of the ring," I told them, though they already knew it. "He'll have a lot of people with him, but Rook loves a good fight, so chances are that he'll take you on himself. But where do we find the Director?"

"From what I know about Directors," said Blaine, "They like to watch their movies from big comfy chairs and just shout their orders down. He'll be somewhere where he can see everything."

"How about that?" Casey asked after a moment. She was pointing to a large signal tower off along the Iris' curve. It stuck out, standing a good twelve stories above every other building in the area, a needle of pure black interspersed with lights.

"That'll be a good place to start, I should think."


	30. Chapter 29: The Director

Chapter 29: The Director

**Chapter 29: The Director**

We came to the base of the tower without incident… I was still wondering how she had come to the conclusion that the director (if there was one) would be in there. I was instinctively wary of her seemingly random choice, but deep down, I had a feeling she was right. If I didn't, I wouldn't be following her.

The tower, though, presented a problem. It would no doubt be full of Storm grunts and maybe even some of the admins… I hoped my Pokemon would be up the fight.

Only one way to find out.

Casey jogged just ahead of me, a determined look on her face. She slipped around one final corner and I followed. The tower was directly in front of us, standing like a stalagmite (or maybe a stalactite –I don't know which one is which) in the dark. Red lights ribbed the building, casting a neon glow on us as we approached the front door. It was a surprisingly normal door for being at the base of a tower in a supervillain's flying fortress. And it wasn't even locked. I guess the Storm wasn't worried about being attacked just yet.

Once we were through the door, Casey pulled a pokeball and summoned her Totodile. I brought out Jolteon, and together, we began moving up the stairs that stood before us.

The light wasn't good, but I could tell that there weren't any doors on the first floor. There was one at the end of each flight as we ascended, though, and they were all closed. And the tower was tall… even though we were all but running, it would be at least an hour before we reached the top…

"Hey!" someone shouted gruffly from behind us. I turned to see four grunts emerging from the door on the flight below. "You're not allowed to be here!"

"How did you get up here, anyways?" called another. In a second, all four had brought out a menagerie of Pokemon and were charging at us up the stairs.

Shit.

(-o-)

Rook stood, surveying the slowly melting lens from his floating platform. He was high over his flying fortress, but higher still was Lugia, circling in the atmosphere above, waiting for the next time it would be summoned.

His one amber eye scanned the emptying walkways of the Iris. The mission was done for the night, and for all but those with watch duty, it was time for rest…

"Rook!" a voice yelled from behind. The masked man turned quickly, his white coat swirling in the floodlights.

A jet of fire was streaming toward him. Rook knew it was too fast for him to dodge… he had been destroyed once by fire, and had risen from the ashes. He didn't think he could do it again. Rook stood still and awaited his demise.

There was a dark blur, a small shadow, as Hade's Roserade leapt into the path. A bubble of blue light appeared around it, a Protect, and the fire attack was deflected into the sky.

Rook looked down to see Hade and Akila standing on the ground below. Akila's Milotic reared up to the sky, and Roserade jumped onto its back. The two admins whispered orders to their Pokemon. They had already seen the attackers, unlike Rook… the head admin felt foolish. He hadn't foreseen an attack this soon… it was his mistake, and he had almost died for it.

Rook caught sight of two figures standing on a roof a few hundred meters away. To his surprise, neither one of them was Ian Cartright. It was his idiot friend and the meddling gym leader. Rook smiled behind his mask.

"Take care of them," he barked down the admins.

(-o-)

"It's time," cried Jasmine giddily. "Icarus, bring us in!"

"It's _about_ time," Tori muttered back.

Below, the champions could clearly see a battle erupting on part of the metal ring… a Milotic, a Roserade (thought this one impossible to see from the distance the Icarus was at), an Arcanine, and a Charizard.

"Looks like the party started without us," commented Volkner, leading the team down into the hold. The bay doors were already open. "Shall we?"

The Icarus had pulled almost directly over the western half of the Iris.

"Like I said," Tori shouted. "It's about time! Go Gallade!"

The blade Pokemon appeared at her side in a flash of red, scooped Tori into its arms, and jumped through the bay door, dropping to the fortress below. Ryoku and Wallace exchanged looks before summoning their Pokemon –Gyaradose and Mantine, and dropping in to join the battle.

Volkner chuckled and looked at his partner. "Signal for the others to enter as well… I think we're all ready for a fight."

Jasmine nodded, whispered into the headset she had snapped over her ear, and finally brought out her Pokemon, a shining Magnezone. Together, she and Volkner climbed on and descended to the fray.

(-o-)

I felt something collide with the Iris –something heavy judging from the shockwave, but it might've just been moving fast. Whatever it was, it distracted the last grunt for long enough for me to finish off his Weepingbell.

I glanced over at Casey, who was still looking determined. Her Pokemon, on the other hand, looked bushed… Jolteon was faring a little better, but she was tired too… I swapped her out for Ivysaur, since I was still letting Lickitung and Starme rest, and Dugtrio wouldn't be much use here.

"Come on," I murmured to Casey, grabbing her arm. "We have to keep going."

"Some else just attacked the Iris," she commented as we struggled up the steps. "I can feel it. I just know it."

I nodded, unsure of whether or not I believed it… after another half hour of running and two more short battles, it seemed like we were no closer to the top. It was still at least a few dozens flights ahead.

"This was a mistake. I never should have brought you here… now we're stuck." Casey leaned against the wall and slumped down. She had brought out her Pikachu since our last fight, and the little Pokemon tried to urge her up, but Casey didn't budge. Her copper hair obscured her face, but I was sure she was crying.

I sat down next to her… no harm in a short break.

"I don't think I can go any further, Ian," she said, her head crashing into my shoulder. "I'm just too tired. You go on ahead… I'll come when I can. You can take the director by yourself, right? I promise I'll come as soon as I can…"

"Casey, we don't even know if there is a director, let alone if he's here."

"Yeah… it was probably a bit reckless of me to charge in here, then, wasn't it?" she laughed in spite of the moment. "I just have a feeling, you know? I know that whoever's in charge, he's here. And I need to get to him."

I nodded calmly and patted her shoulder. Then, I did something… I'm not sure why I did it. I just thought it was the right thing to do… I turned over and kissed Casey carefully. It was only for a second… but something changed.

She looked up at me with tear-stained eyes and smiled a little.

"Think you can move now?" I asked playfully, wiping a tear off her cheek.

"Yeah," she answered with a giggle. "I guess."

So we got up –me first, her following with my help- and ran up the stairs, toward whatever awaited us. And I felt ready, just then, to take on whatever it was.

(-o-)

Rook saw the zeppelin appear from the dark, and saw the green blur descend from it and crash to the deck of the Iris with enough for to shake it like a see-saw. The head admin activated his communicator and whispered into it.

"We have more guests."

No sooner had he spoken then did a hulking Gyaradose smash into the deck just before him and wrapped Milotic in its thick blue coils. Akila looked around, startled, and a man with spiky gold and black hair perched on nearby radio tower.

There were two of the champions… but where was the third?

"Rook!" a voice screamed from above. The head admin looked up to see the grey silhouette of a Mantine gliding overhead. "Get up here and fight me, you bastard!"

Rook smiled to himself, summoned his Salamance, and rose into the sky.

He and Wallace circled each other carefully in the air… there energy in the space between them, as both knew that one of them wouldn't live to fight again. Below, the fight between the other two Champions, Richard, Blaine, and –surprisingly- two other gym leaders and the Storm admins was escalating… a few grunts had joined in to help even the odds… the Iris was already taking considerable damage and shaking like a top that had lost its momentum.

With a roar of anger, Rook and his Pokemon shot across the circle, lunging at Wallace. The champion's Pokemon dove below the attack and struck Salamance from below with a Water Pulse.

The dragon moaned and rolled away from the attack… he was loosing altitude. Wallace smiled confidently and followed, diving after his foe.

But it was a ruse: Rook's Pokemon flipped onto its back mid fall, and fired a Hyper Beam at his chaser. Mantine summoned a shield, a Protect, but the attack was still strong –strong enough to break the barrier. A considerable amount of energy leaked through and seared across Mantine's stomach. The water Pokemon screeched and began to loose momentum.

Now it was Wallace who was falling. Rook swooped up into the sky, pulling back in a sharp loop so that Salamance was now over Mantine, diving toward him. Rook was laughing madly behind his mask. It was over!

(-o-)

The door.

It was the last one, so this had to be it. Casey smiled tiredly at me as we reached the threshold… but this door was locked. Ivysaur and I had opened harder doors than before, though, and seconds later, we were in.

The director's room was dark, so much so that we could barely make out any details in the room. The walls were maroon, I was fairly sure. Shadows clung to the corners like cobwebs, and directly across from the room from the door was a huge, canopied bed. Ghostly white silk curtains hung around the bed, and a dark form sat silently in it.

"_So_," said a voice from the bed. "_I am found out. Alas, I am certain that this discovery will not amount to much for you. You see… well, you shall see that nothing is as you thought._"

"Who are you?" shouted Casey, stepping forward. Sparks flicked off her Pokemon, brightening the room…

There was a chilling, crackly laugh from the bed. The dark form lying beneath the covers flickered and vanished briefly before reappearing.

"_I am nobody,_" said the Director. The dark form vanished from its bed, and the lights rose, illuminating the room.

I could see now that the room's ceiling was twice as high as I had thought. Hanging above like a demented chandelier was a massive, camera-like device. No, camera's not quite right: it was a projector.

The machine buzzed loudly and a new shape appeared in the center of the room. It was a full-size, occasionally flickering image of Rook, floating in the air like a cardboard cutout.

"Greetings, Ms. Rhyne," said a recording of Rook's voice. "I know it must be you, because this message will not play unless the security cameras identify you. Wonderful things, computers. You grandfather thought so.

"Now, Cassidy, it was time you learned the truth of your family heritage. I do not doubt that you know some of it, but… it is likely that what you know is an ignorant lie. First off, your parents. Their death had nothing to do with myself, or the Storm's Eye, despite what you may believe. You grandfather, on the other hand… well, he had everything to do with us. He made us, Cassidy.

"Georgiou Rhyne… quite an extraordinary man. He was the former Champion of Kanto, as well as a devoted Pokemon researcher, enthusiast, and grandfather. He believed that mankind had forsaken his love of Pokemon and nature itself. He wanted to liberate the world.

"Does that sound familiar? That is my wish… my destiny. Your grandfather gave me that, and for that I am eternally in his debt. He discovered me, and chose me to complete his plan because he was not strong enough. He was never strong enough to do anything of real value, but he did create this plan. Your grandfather was the true Director… the father of the Storm's Eye.

"There weren't many of us at first, myself and a few that have become admins since… and the late Matt Cartright. I know that you are at least aware of Matt Cartright, if not directly involved with his brother, Ian. If you are at all involved, I suggest that you quickly become uninvolved. It would be a mistake for you to remain so. Matt Cartright was a traitor: he was my best friend and a member of the most inner sanctum of the Storm's Eye, and he abandoned us. He attacked me, scarring and deforming me horribly. It is because of him that I wear this mask. My entire body is covered in Mr. Cartright's mark… for that I can never forgive him, and for that he died. But the damage he did was not only personal: he stole plans, documents, identities from us. He ran to those blasted stupid little Hermes and supplied them with enough information to hunt us with forever…

"But they never did. I do not know why… perhaps it was Matt himself who convinced them not to. I hope it was… I have often mused about "Matt's little gift to me", but still I do not know if it is true.

"So you see now, Cassidy, why you must die. Do you? You are the heir to your grandfather's creation –you should be at the helm of the Storm's Eye, but… I cannot let you do that. Your grandfather was the Director right up until the moment I killed him, but no one in the Storm's Eye knows this. They don't know who the Director is, because he sits up here, bedridden, all day every day. Boo hoo."

There was a buzz as the hologram flickered back to life. The Director's dark form appeared in the center of the room, standing now, like a living shadow. The hologram stretched out its silhouette-arm and a cackling like static came from somewhere above.

Rook's recording continued. "So I have been in control, in truth, for years. Even before Georgiou was dead, I held more power in this organization than him. I know you want that power back, Cassidy; I know that you knew at least some of what I have said here already… but I cannot let you take it. So… farewell Cassidy Rhyne. It is a shame that you were not brought into the organization sooner –if you had been, you might have lived."

The hologram flickered, twisted, and metamorphosed… it wasn't just a hologram –there had been something inside the machine operating it the whole time: a Pokemon.

The black form of the director became pink, angled, and vaguely avian… a Porygon appeared from the blurs of the hologram, its eyes blank and computing. I had always thought Porygon was one of the weirdest Pokemon, and I had never fought one before, so I wasn't sure of its weaknesses…

Whatever they were, Casey couldn't be bothered with them. I caught a glimpse of the look on her face (shock, quickly turning into livid rage…), but I was blinded by a sudden flash of white-gold light. For a second, I wasn't sure who it had come from, but I quickly realized that it was from Casey's Pikachu.

The brilliant Thunder caught Porygon completely off guard. Before it could do anything, it fell to the ground, smoking and fainted, lacking the energy even to return to the sanctum of its hologram machine…

The Porygon vanished, leaving a strange square of projected darkness in its wake, like the darkened face of a digital clock floating in the air… surprisingly, that simile wasn't far from the truth.There was a click from behind us as the door automatically locked. Blocky red numbers appeared on the black rectangle hovering before us.

_5:00. _

_4:59_

_4:58_

_4:57…_

It was a time bomb. There wasn't a shred of doubt in my mind: Rook's Porygon had failed to kill us, so why not lock us up on the top floor of a tower with a ticking bomb?

Man, I hate this guy!

(-o-)

It was already over for Wallace. He lay face down on the deck of the Iris a few hundred meters north of where the major battle was occurring.

Rook surveyed his handiwork with a dark glint of satisfaction. He whispered to his Pokemon, who rose into the sky on its red wings and circled over the battle that was rocking the Iris. His admins and stronger grunts were facing off against a myriad of Champions and gym leaders. And that friend of Ian's. What exactly was he doing there?

Rook wondered, but he didn't truly care. They would all be dead soon anyways.

"This farce has gone on for long enough!" he called down to his troops. "Activate your Illuminators. End them all now!"


	31. Chapter 30: Battle on the Lens

Chapter 30: Battle on the Lens

**Chapter 30: Battle on the Lens**

"Alright, together now," I said, for the third time, then added: "On my mark. When I say 'three', not after I say it, got it? Ok. One. Two. Three!"

An Energy Ball and Thunderbolt slammed into the already damaged wall at once, and this time, the combined force was enough to blow a sizable chunk of wall out of the tower. Instant window. Wow… seconds from likely death and I was still making jokes.

Casey walked up the break in the wall and stared down… way down. We were about thirty or forty stories up… I'm not sure how far, exactly, but it was enough to kill us it we tried to jump down. And climbing wasn't an option –the tower was completely slick. The timer on the bomb had just past three minutes. There wasn't a whole lot we could do.

Come to think of it, there was nothing we could do.

We had come too close… no, I guess it was just close. If we were too close, then we would have a comeback moment, save ourselves, get down to the Iris and kick Rook's ass. That wasn't going to happen. We were stuck.

I looked at Casey, who just shrugged. Angry tears had turned her eyes red, but hadn't started coming down her cheeks yet. She was out of ideas, and so was I.

I hadn't tried to talk to her about her grandfather yet. For one thing, there hadn't been enough time to talk about anything but the possibility of escape, and also, it was probably still a tender subject with her. We didn't exactly need a disagreement right now…

But Matt. Matt had been with the Storm's Eye, but he betrayed them and left… no matter what Rook said, I knew it must've been because Matt had figured out the truth: that Rook was in charge and taking the Storm in the wrong direction… at least, I really hoped that that was true… as for having scarred Rook, put him in the mask… well, maybe I would never know the complete truth about that. I don't think I really wanted to. I decided then that I would just try and remember Matt the way I had known him. I might not miss him as much if I knew the total truth.

Two minutes left.

"Maybe… we should wing it and jump," Casey suggested. "If we die, so what, we tried. It's better than staying here and blowing up."

I nodded sadly. Heights didn't bode well with me, as I'm sure I've told you before. Falling was any better than exploding for me, but if Casey jumped, I would have too. I wanted to be with her… and now it looked like I would be with her until the end.

"Wait," I said, as the idea occurred to me. "Instead of jumping to our deaths, what if Ivysaur lowered us down the side of the tower until we found a place we could swing across to another rooftop."

Casey smiled. "I could work. Worth a shot, anyways."

Seconds later, we were repelling down the wall of the tower… it was good two-hundred feet to the deck of the Iris, but I was determined not to look down. There was only about a minute left for us to reach the bottom… we couldn't get to the ground in time, but maybe we could get down far enough that the fall wouldn't kill us. And hopefully the whole tower wouldn't explode.

Suddenly, a high pitched beeping filled the air. I knew what it must be: the bomb's final warning.

"Ivysaur, let go!" I shouted quickly, pushing back from the wall with my legs. I knew we were still way to far off the ground, but maybe there would be a building we could safely land on…

Ivysaur's vines came in and vanished beneath his leaves just as the top of the building became a mushroom cloud. I watched the yellow sunburst of fire as Casey and I fell… I had a feeling it would be the last thing I saw, and I didn't want it to be that way… I turned to look at Casey.

She was looking at the ground.

And I realized something, just then –we weren't falling anymore. There was no wind rushing by, no ground rushing up to meet us. But I didn't remember landing on anything. So… how were we staying up.

I followed Casey's gaze to the ground; it definitely wasn't getting any closer. So we were floating. Somehow…

_Honestly_, said a familiar voice. I couldn't tell quite where it was coming from… it was almost like I was wearing headphones –the voice seemed to be emanating from the center of my head. _I cannot leave you children alone for a moment, can I?_

"Sabrina?" said Casey with surprise.

_Yes. What kind of psychic would I be if I couldn't plant a few thoughts in your heads?_

"Are you holding us up?"

_One of my Pokemon is. And you don't need to speak –I can hear your thoughts too, but controlling what you think is hard for some, so it might be better if you just talk after all. _There was a brief pause as Casey exchanged curious looks. _But we can't keep you up there forever –where would you like me to set you down?_

I looked at Casey –we must've been thinking the same thing- and we nodded as one.

"Take us to Rook."

(-o-)

We landed lightly a few hundred meters from the lens at the Iris's center. I could see Rook circling slowly overhead on his Salamance, but he hadn't seen us yet –he was looking at something else off to the left.

I followed his gaze and saw, just down the avenue on my left, a circle of Storm operatives. They were surrounding a group of trainers… I was able to see Blaine and Richard among them, as well as a few that I recognized as gym leaders of other countries… they were trapped.

Casey saw them too, I think, and put an arm on my shoulder before I could move toward them.

"Ian… Rook killed my grandfather. He took this –all of this- from him and I need to get it back. But… I can't do it alone. I need you to take him down with me. I need you to help me fight him."

She reached out and took my hand. I gave one last glance to the captured trainers then back at Casey. I had to go with her. I had a score to settle with Rook too… but maybe there was still something I could do to help Richard and Blaine.

_Sabrina, _I said in my head, focusing all my thoughts on it. _You haven't been captured, have you? Can you help the others that are trapped? Their by the lens…_

_Way ahead of you._

I kept watching the captured trainers as Casey and I crept toward the lens… there were structures all around us, but they had been damaged in the battle that must've taken place here. We slipped through the rubble, trying not to be seen…

There was a burst of violet to our side, and one of the Storm Pokemon was blown away by a powerful Sludge Bomb. I followed the path of the blast with my eyes and saw, perched on a rooftop in the distance, Koga, standing with Sabrina and another man…I think it was Brock. So they finally joined the party too.

That was our friends taken care of… now Rook was the only target. I looked back at Casey, nodding, and together we rushed toward the lens, leaving the brewing battle behind us.

(-o-)

Rook watched as the fight resumed. This time… this time he would enter the battle and end it before his wonderful fortress received any more damage. He whispered to his Salamance, who obeyed, diving down toward the fight…

A jet of water struck the dragon in the face, causing it to spiral back, down to the lens. It crashed to the ice, sliding and skidding to the opposite end of the lens. The Iris shook with the impact.

Rook clambered indignantly off of his injured Pokemon and looked around, trying to see where the water had come from.

Standing on a platform over the edge of the lens was Ian Cartright. By his side was Casey… so the message hadn't taken care of her. Rook wasn't altogether surprised. Those two children were proving shockingly hard to kill. Standing behind them were the boy's Ivysaur, and the girl's colossal Blastoise. Rook swore quietly as his own Pokemon struggled up.

(-o-)

We slid down the inner rim of the Iris, landing on the slippery ice of the lens. Ivysaur and Sebastian leapt down after us.

Across the lens, Rook and his dragon were struggling to their feet. Rook summoned a second Pokemon when he saw that we would both be fighting him. Electabuzz leapt, screeching, from its ball to the ice.

"I went to visit the Director," shouted Casey. "I thought it was him that took everything from my grandpa, but I was wrong. The Director wasn't who I thought he was… but you knew all about that, didn't you Rook?"

He said nothing, just gazed at us, one-eyed, across the lens.

So Casey continued. "I'm going to end this here and now and take back what's mine!"

"And I'm here to take my revenge. You remember Matt, don't you Rook?" I spat, glowering. "You killed my brother. This is for him! Energy Ball!"

Ivysaur fired a ball of green light at Salamance, but the dragon was too quick: it took off into the sky, rising on crimson wings… Electabuzz leapt at us, lightning fizzling off its arms. Ivysaur threw out two vines, which caught Electabuzz in the chest and hoisted him up. The electric Pokemon was thrown into the air, but it came down hard, cracking the ice where it landed… uh-oh –the lens was melting. The sun was coming up… when it got a little higher in the sky, all the ice would melt and we'd fall to the ground.

Suddenly climbing onto the lens didn't seem like such a hot idea. Fighting on it was just plain stupid.

But there we were, and there was no turning back.

Sebastian and Salamance were trading blows to my right; Rook didn't seem to be having any trouble keeping up with both of us… but I was determined to be more trouble than he thought.

Ivysaur Skull Bashed Electabuzz, but he was caught and thrown away across the ice. My Pokemon slipped and struggled to get up, but his smooth feet didn't gain any purchase. Electabuzz appeared in front of him, a yellow blur, and Thunderpunched him further back. I was shouting orders as loud as I could, but even though Ivysaur heard me and attacked, none of his attacks were strong or fast enough to do any major damage. He, on the other hand, was taking a beating from Rook's Pokemon.

After a few more minutes of punishment, Ivysaur slid to a stop in front of me, bruised and bleeding. He cooed an apology and tried to struggle up yet again. Electabuzz apparently didn't think he would give up –it had started to slide toward Sebastian, in an attempt to distract him from Salamance.

I crouched in front of Ivysaur… he was my only Pokemon who I truly thought could beat Rook… if he couldn't, I knew none of my others would stand a chance. I scratched his head and muttered an apology; I took out Ivysaur's pokeball and put him in it…

I began quickly thinking about which Pokemon I would send out in his place. I had to decided quickly, because Casey and her Pokemon were about to be in a lot of trouble… luckily, Electabuzz was having trouble getting across the ice. Suddenly, Ivysaur's pokeball shook and reopened without any help from me. I looked down at the grass Pokemon, and he grunted defiantly at me. He wasn't ready to give up.

I smiled and pointed at Electabuzz.

"Alright Ivysaur, let's go with…"

I was cut off by a blinding flash. Ivysaur was glowing white, so radiant that I couldn't look directly at him. the glow expanded, reflecting off the ice and causing Casey and Rook to stop issuing commands and stare…

Emerging from the glow was a massive, full-grown Venusaur. But there was something different about him… his flower was more orange than red, and his body a brighter shade of green than most of his species. So my Venusaur was a little off-colored. Still –he was a Venusaur!

I pumped my fist in the air with happiness and hugged my Pokemon's flank. Venusaur seemed to share my joy. He roared jovially and stomped one foot to the ground, shaking the whole lens.

There was something I'd been waiting to try since I first got him as a Bulbasaur, and now we were both ready to do it.

"Venusaur! Solarbeam!"

His flower turned gold as the rising sun filled it with energy… there was a ripple in the air as the beam of red, green, and yellow energy erupted from the flower, slamming into a rather surprised looking Electabuzz. The electric Pokemon was thrown all the way to the edge of the lens.

Rook looked at me with livid rage. He knew that he'd win now. So what did he attempt instead? Escape. Silly Rook.

Salamance rushed to the ice in front of its trainer, its jaws splayed in a roar. Rook jumped onto its back, gave me a mocking wave, and began rising away from the lens… Salamance got about twenty feet off the ice, but then couldn't ascend any further. Rook looked down in surprise and saw why –two vines, as thick as suspension bridge cables, were wrapped around his Pokemon's legs. Salamance had just become the world's biggest kite.

Casey seized her chance, and ordered her Pokemon to do an attack I had never head of before.

"Sebastian, Gyro Ball, now!"

The turtle Pokemon pulled into its shell and began spinning… maybe it was a variation of Rapid Spin or something… Sebastian spun so fast that his form seemed to become spherical. And was that the glint of metal on his shell?

The spinning Pokemon roared forward across the ice. I had Venusaur pull Salamance lower. It was now right in Casey's path. Sebastian hit his foe with bone-crushing force, grinding it into the wall steadily…

Sebastian sprang out his shell, still spinning on the ice, and grabbed the dragon, tossing it and its trainer into the center of the lens.

I glanced over at Casey –she was smiling and crying at once… she does both of those things a lot.

"Let's finish him together," I said to her. "From both sides, got it?"

She nodded, careful to wipe her eyes first. Then, at once, we ordered, "Skull Bash!"

From both directions, our Pokemon charged head first. Salamance was slipping to its feet, but it had no chance to move. It was slammed from both sides, pinched like a splinter. Salamance roared with pain and frustration… it was over. Rook's strongest Pokemon was down… and from the look of it, Rook was down too.

I turned to Casey, just as she turned to me, and we hugged. Her body was shuddering and thought she was crying again… but no, she was laughing. I realized that I was laughing too.

"Let's get off this stupid lens before it melts. It's over, Casey. I think we won for good this time…"

"No," she said, her laughter stopping suddenly. "It's not over yet. As long as Rook is still alive, he'll be hunting me. Maybe he'll hunt you too… but whatever he might do, I say we don't let him do it. We have to make sure that he never follows us again."

I was shocked to hear something like that coming from Casey. Rook had tried to kill her… and he had taken everything, even life, from her grandfather… he had killed my brother, but I had never wanted to… to kill Rook back. For me, revenge had always been defeating and possibly humiliating Rook. Making him never want to fight again. But killing him…

I couldn't let Casey kill someone, even someone as horrible as Rook. My first thought was that I would subdue her Pokemon and use Venusaur to spirit her away, but I knew that wouldn't work –even though evolving had strengthened him, Venusaur was still injured and tired. He wouldn't stand a chance against Sebastian, let alone Casey herself.

"Casey… you can't just kill him. I mean… that's murder. You could be arrested or put to death for that."

"He's a criminal. Who's gonna miss him? He just tried to take over the world. And he would have succeeded if we hadn't just stopped him. We won, Ian. He lost. He probably doesn't even want to live anymore."

A stupid, strange idea came into my head just then.

"Let's not stick around to fight out," I said, putting my arms around Casey. She seemed too surprised to struggle, so I pushed back to the wall and wrapped my arms around a thick metal pipe and shouted over my shoulder, "Venusaur, break the lens!"


	32. Chapter 31: Explosions in the Sky

Chapter 31: Shatter

**Author's note**: recently, I had an idea which I'm rather proud of: there are a few RPG style forums, but I had a better idea for one while I was reading a different forum on : I'm going to create a Pokemon battle arena forum, where fans of the games can come to create their own teams, characters, and battle each other in single matches and tournaments. Check out the Bellum Island forum if you're interested, or want to read more about it. I'll post a bit about this on the first chapter too…

Anyways, enjoy the new chapter…

**Chapter 31: Explosions in the Sky**

Massive chunks of ice broke and fell to the mountain below. There were still a few pieces around the edge, and we were standing on one of them. I looked over my shoulder and saw no sign of Rook or Salamance, though Electabuzz was slouched against the opposite wall, a small chunk of ice holding him up…

Venusaur and Sebastian had been quickly returned before they fell too… Casey was starting to yell angrily and kick and punch in my arms, but she'd get over it. I couldn't let her become a killer, and this way… while Rook had probably died, I didn't feel too bad because I hadn't caused it… directly. After all, he could still be alive, right? The only thing was, I'm not sure whether or not I wanted him to be.

After a few moments of hanging onto the wall, a blonde head appeared overhead, tongue clicking.

"Maybe it's just me," said Richard, "But it seems like things you touch have a tendency to break. I'm speaking to both of you, you know."

"Richard," Casey growled back. "Would you mind shutting up and getting us out of here before we become little red stains on the ground? Or should I just touch and break you, too?"

(-o-)

The Storm's Eye operatives were being rounded up and taken onto the two large airships that had appeared while Casey and I were inside the tower. Richard explained to us that they were from the Hermes… there was even a smaller balloon that Sabrina and Brock had arrived in with Koga.

The Hermes… Matt had be one of them. He told me on the day he died, and maybe now I would get some of the truth about the mysterious organization.

Sabrina was overseeing a group of prisoners that were being guided up into the hold of one of the airships. She smiled and waved as we walked up, happier than I had ever seen her.

"Sabrina," I asked as I came up to her. "There are things we need to know. Why are you and these other gym leaders here… and are those the Champions? What's with the airships?"

"I'm not authorized to explain," she said, her face becoming serious once more. "But there's someone here who is."

(-o-)

An hour later, Volkner had explained everything to me. Casey was waiting outside… I think she was still mad at me for dropping Rook when she could have killed him. I didn't regret it though, and Volkner seemed to only regret it slightly: after all, there was still a small chance that Rook hadn't been turned into a human smoothie on impact.

But other than that… I knew what the blue lights were, and now I was sure that Rook had used the Legendary birds and completely twisted his logic to gain power. That much was clear, but other subjects were still a little murky. I still wanted to know Matt's relationship to everything, and what Casey's grandfather had to do with everything.

"Those two people," said Volkner slowly, "are very intertwined. I will try to explain both at once, since that is the easiest way. Matt was a member of the original Storm's Eye, which was founded and planned by Georgiou Rhyne. There were only about a dozen members at first, Rook and his sister among them."

Rook had a sister? I wasn't sure whether I was glad that Rook was actually_ human_, or worried that aforementioned sister might someday try to avenge her brother's death on me…

"As Georgiou grew old and still did nothing but plan and dote on his granddaughter, Rook became frustrated. Matt could tell that Rook was trying to usurp leadership and stopped him by facing off against him and his sister. The sister was killed in the battle and Rook was… damaged. Matt left the Storm and stumbled upon us. He had their information, he knew their secrets, so I took him on. It turned out to be the decision that eventually landed me at the head of the Hermes.

"As for Georgiou… he took pity on Rook, and although he knew of the betrayal, he allowed Rook back into the organization. This gave Rook the opportunity to strike again, this time killing Georgiou, though we thought for a while that he had simply faked his own death to join Rook's new Storm in full. We weren't sure of the truth at the time, so after Georgiou's death, I had one of our top agents shadow his granddaughter, a potential threat to the Storm's Eye."

A bit more than a potential threat, I thought with a smile. I knew how the Story went from there: Matt followed Casey for the next year; even when he was escorting me and Richard to Kanto, he must've been following her. We were on the same airship for a reason. Then, in an attempt to kill Casey, Rook had killed Matt. And I promised Matt on his deathbed that I would keep him away from her. I felt a little pulse of warmth in my chest –I was fairly sure that I had done just that, and satisfied my revenge as well. For a few moments, I was on cloud nine. Things seemed perfect, nothing could go wrong!

But even then there were shadows: everything I had known about Matt, my one brother, had been a lie. He was a killer and spy… sure, he was a good-guy killer and spy, but that didn't change a whole lot…

Maybe there were more shadows than I thought.

(-o-)

Casey left the main deck as soon as Ian was out of sight. She felt so… torn. She thought she loved Ian, but breaking the lens, taking Rook out of her grasp, letting him get away again! That infuriated her. She didn't know if she could forgive something like that.

She knew the Iris better than anyone. And the best part was that no one knew that she did. Her grandfather had designed the whole structure, and its blueprints had been among the things she found in his study in the weeks after he died. There was one location in particular she was looking for.

Casey entered the airship hangar that bulged like a tumor on the bottom of the Iris. There was only one ship still there, floating long and black near the center of the hangar. The Galeforce, it was named. Casey smiled at it and swung from one of the mooring cables.

Yes, it would do nicely…

At the other end of the hangar, rows and stacks of black barrels stood, each marked with flame over-scored with an "X". No fire… highly flammable. Casey liked the sound of that, and she didn't want whoever was taking control above to get their hands on her grandfather's invention. She called out her Pikachu, who watched patiently as she undid the mooring lines and opened the hangar doors, letting in a cold, buffeting wind.

She wasn't done with Rook yet. Not until she was sure he was really, truly dead.

(-o-)

Volkner and I stepped out of the Icarus' control room and stepped back onto the deck of the Iris.

"All prisoners have been loaded and are ready to be transported for detainment," said a brown-haired young woman who I recognized as Jasmine, a Johto gym leader.

"Good," said Volkner. "Well, let's get the tow cables rigged up the ships and head…"

He was cut off by the roar of an engine behind us. Volkner spun to face whatever it was, but I turned slowly, afraid of what I'd see… I was right to be afraid. The black-cigar hull of an airship rose over the side of the Iris. I could see in the cockpit, just beyond the glaring glass, Casey.

She made a glum face and waved, then her hand vanished below the control panel. A moment later, I could hear her voice billowing out of a loudspeaker somewhere on the zeppelin.

"Listen," she ordered. "I'm leaving right now… I have other matters to attend to. In my absence… well, I'll get to that. I am the Storm's Eye now; I am its leader. It'll take a lot of work, but I'm going to rebuild the Storm and make it what my grandfather wanted. And if any of you try to stop me, from rebuilding or leaving, I'll kick your ass."

I laughed to myself, despite the situation.

"I am really sorry to just run off like this… but it's what I need to do." She was looking at me as she said this, and she winked. "But as I said earlier, in the near future, I may run into some of you again. I hope so. You've been very nice to me, but… I also can't let you take the Iris. My grandfather designed this, and I can't anyone else get that design. That said, goodbye. I hope you don't all hate me for this."

She switched off the speaker and whispered something to Pikachu, who sat in the cockpit next to her. It's little yellow head appeared out an open window on the side of the craft. It scrunched up its face, and thunderbolts jutted down toward the bottom of the Iris.

And then everything exploded.

The Iris deck a few hundred feet behind me blossomed with flame and smoke. The whole Iris shook, and a break appeared in the ring. It was going to fall apart and crash. I looked back at Casey, but I couldn't see her anymore; her black airship was rising away from the doomed fortress…

Volkner was shouting orders to the remaining people on the Iris –all Hermes agents. Everyone scrambled to the airships as the deck around the break began to crumble and fall away to the ground. It wouldn't be long before the whole Iris gave out in to its own weight and imploded… we had to be gone before that happened.

I was the last one up the gangway of the Icarus… I was trying to get one final glimpse of Casey, even as the gangway closed. I wasn't sure if I'd ever see her again… but I had a feeling… no, we would see each other again, and I hoped it would be soon. The gangway began to life up, sealing the airship for liftoff and eclipsing my view…

Something lithe and yellow leapt through the shrinking crescent of the open gangway. It was moving too fast for me to focus on it… it jumped past me and disappeared up the steps, into the airship. Then it hit me: Electabuzz! It had woken up and didn't want to die with the Iris. So it was stowing away with us… that gave me an idea.

I rushed up the steps behind it, and found Electabuzz crouched on its knuckles in the hallway, howling at a pair of lesser Hermes at the other end. I whistled loudly at the electric Pokemon and it turned to glare at me. Its eyes… they weren't angry, they were sad. Abandoned. Betrayed. I knew how he felt, at least somewhat, and I tried to convey that in my eyes… the Pokemon stopped howling and shuffled toward me, apelike in its movements. I held out a hand, and it reached out for it.

I guess we were both planning a double cross, because just as my other hand emerged from behind me with a pokeball, Electabuzz's fired a bolt of electricity at me, missing by inches. I jumped to the side to dodge the attack, but I felt its heat… that was close.

The pokeball flew from my hand, and bounced off the surprised Electabuzz with a chime. It bounced into the air, and I reached out, catching it. Electabuzz wanted out –it fought had, rocking the ball, trying to hit the open switch… maybe I shouldn't have caught it, but I did. Who knows, maybe we really did share some empathy. Maybe we could both learn something from that.

There was still a lot to learn, and a long way to travel.


	33. Chapter 32: Exodus

Chapter 32: Exodus

**Chapter 32: Exodus**

"I see no problem with keeping it," said Volkner in regards to Electabuzz. "Rook is dead, as far as I am concerned, so his Pokemon are free. This is, however the first ex-Storm Pokemon to have been captured. I would prefer that you left it here, with us, for study. We would much like to know the affects of Rook's Fourth Strain Pokerus Activators have had on it…"

Hmm. I looked down at the pokeball I held in my right hand. The poor thing… it felt the same way I did, and I didn't want it trapped and alone here with a bunch of scientist. That was the last thing Electabuzz needed.

"No," I said suddenly. Volkner looked up from the papers he was examining. "I can't. You can use one of the other Storm's Eye Pokemon. This one needs a trainer to help it, I think. It's lonely. But I already have an electric type, so I'm going to give it to someone I trust. Richard, I want you to have this Pokemon."

My friend looked over at me, surprised. He had been looking out the bay windows of the airship's bridge.

"Um… sure…" he started to say, walking toward me.

"Actually," said Jasmine, a slight tinge of spite in her voice. "You can't give away Pokemon unless you have some sort of official standing. You can, however, trade."

I thought about Richard's Pokemon, and maybe he was too…

"Well, maybe we should wait on that then," I said. "There's one more thing I wanted to ask you about, Volkner. What happened to my brother's Pokemon? I knew the password that he used for everything and I tried to open his PC file with it, but it didn't work."

This time, it was the man with the strange black and orange hair that spoke up.

"He used a different password for his PC," he said. "He told me what it was the last time I saw him. He said that if I ever needed to use any of his Pokemon, I could."

"What was it?"

There was a brief pause. "It was 'Jamie'."

Jamie. That was a name, probably a girl's; but I didn't know anyone named Jamie… had Matt? She was probably yet anther person from his secret life whom I had never heard of.

Anyways, there was a PC at the back of the bridge which Volkner had said was connected to the Kanto network, so I activated it and typed in Matt's name and password. His PC box came up, but to my surprise, it was almost empty. Matt had had a lot of Pokemon, I know because he'd always been eager to show me when he caught a new one. Why was there only one left?

I checked to see what kind of Pokemon it was, and to found it was a Combusken. But there wasn't any room in my team at the time, so I left the fire Pokemon in its place.

"Where are all of his other Pokemon?" I asked. "I know he had more than just one."

"Well, if he died and no one had claimed them in a month, then they would have been taken and released on the Oak Pokemon Reserve north of Pallet Town. I think it's run by Beech now… a nice place. They should be happy there." Volkner scratched his chin and smiled slyly. "Though I do wonder why this Pokemon remains in its box. Perhaps when you release it, you will discover. But as for now, where can I set you two down?"

"What?" I hadn't yet given any thought to leaving the Hermes. There were still things I felt I need to know, or be a part of, but… when it came down to the line, I didn't see any concrete reason to stay. So I guess it was time for me and Richard to head out on our own again. Actually, after all that had happened in the last few weeks, it sounded pretty good.

"We've got a group of criminals and four Legendary Birds to deal with… I'm afraid we can't afford to have you kids hanging around while we do it."

"How about Pallet?" I asked, remembering that I still had a spare key in my pocket. And plus, Casey might show up there soon… it was worth a try. "There's a place there where we can stay."

Volkner nodded and conveyed the order to the Icarus' computer. Our airship turned away from the other two the south, presumably planning to rendezvous later. After a few more moments of silence, the man with the weird hair, wondered aloud.

"What happened to the other two champions?" he asked solemnly. It was then that I realized who he was –Ryoku, the champion of Johto and Kanto; Matt had claimed that he was friends with Ryoku, though I had never really believed him… that would explain why he knew Matt's PC password.

Volkner sighed sadly and said, "Wallace died… fortunately, he was and will be the last person ever to have been killed by John Rook. As for Ms. Letour… you know, I really have no idea where she is. Around the Icarus somewhere, to be sure."

(-o-)

Tori was indeed around the Icarus, more so than Volkner would have imagined.

The door to Hade's cell clicked open, revealing a dark silhouette in the yellow light of the hall bulbs. Tori nodded to the Pokemon waiting beside the door, and its metal arm reached in, grabbing the earth admin by the collar and hauling him out into the open. Tori nodded again, satisfactorily, and her Empoleon dropped a dreary Hade to his knees.

"I know that you have it," the champion said, putting a combat-booted foot on Hade's chest.

"Have what?" he wheezed. The admin was exhausted from his battle and miserable from his incarceration… what did this little brat want with him?

"The controls for the nanoids that control the Pokemon. All of them. I know you have some kind of back up control on your person. It would be stupid for you not to."

Hade sighed. "No, the only controls were on the Iris, which is now a smoking pile of debris thanks to your little girlfriend…"

"Empoleon," Tori snapped. The Pokemon obediently reached in with a broad, paddle like arm, and lifted Hade off the ground by his neck. The man gurgled, yelped, and tried to struggle, but the Pokemon was too big for him –his feet didn't even touch the ground.

"It makes sense," Tori said, "for you to have a backpack with you. That way, in the off chance that you got captured, you could form a unified attack from every Storm's Eye Pokemon to escape. So tell me, Allan Hade, age 26, born in Celadon to Gardenia and Walter Hade."

Hade's eyes grew wide with surprise and fear.

"How did you know…" he managed. Empoleon lifted him higher, then swung him down and hurled him down the hallway. Hade's body banged off the door at the hall's end, and he blacked out for a moment. When he came too, Tori and her Pokemon were standing over him.

"I like to know what I'm up against," said Tori, hands on her hips. "Now, Mr. Hade, we can do that again as many times as you like until you tell me the truth."

"Fine," muttered Hade, digging into the folds of his false-leaf outfit and brought out a Velcro-sealing nylon gauntlet with an array of metal screens and panels on one face. Tori snatched it from him and examined it quietly.

"Yes," she muttered. "This should do nicely. Now… if I were to order every Pokemon on this airship to escape its confines and follow me to the ground, how many would survive?"

"Most of them are flying types, and those that aren't can hitch rides on those that are… but you're not seriously thinking…"

"And the legendary birds can all be controlled be this as well?"

"All but Lugia. She was on a special frequency that could only be controlled from the Iris' control tower and Rook's personal gauntlet. You can't get her from here…"

"Good enough," said Tori, strapping on the gauntlet. She turned to her Pokemon and said, "Back in his cell then. Thank you Hade, you've been wonderfully helpful. When I rule the world, you'll be able to thank yourself for almost single handedly aiding me."

And with that, she set out to make herself a queen.

(-o-)

Suddenly, the whole airship rocked. I was thrown to the floor, as was the rest of the assembly of gym leaders and Hermes operatives. I was one of the first up, hauling myself up the lopsided glass of the window…

Outside the airship, a cloud of Pokemon was swirling. It seemed to be coming from somewhere just behind us… the cargo bay. Were those escaped Storm Pokemon? My question was answered as we saw Tori fly by, riding a blank-looking Articuno. The other two birds flew just behind her like winged bodyguards, but I didn't see any sign of Lugia… at least she hadn't gotten her hands on that.

"Oh," said Ryoku as he got to his feet. "There she is."

But Tori didn't seem to care much about us anymore. She had her sight sets on other things. She just rode off into the morning sun, surrounded by her flock of Pokemon… what a strange, strange world.


	34. Chapter 33: The Road Again

Chapter 33: The Road Again

**Chapter 33: The Road Again**

Richard and I walked down the Icarus' gangway and onto a grassy hill just north of Pallet. It was early morning, and a cool wind was sweeping up from the sea. It battled the wind coming from the Icarus' engines; Volkner hadn't bothered turning them off since they needed to be leaving so quickly. With Stormies to get rid of and now Tori to chase, the Hermes had a lot on their plates.

"Wait!" someone shouted from behind us. I saw a pissed looking Volkner glaring at something from the cockpit, and followed his gaze down to see Blaine and Koga jogging toward us from inside the airship.

Blaine fumbled for something inside his lab coat and eventually, his hand came out with a small velvet box, resembling something you might put your glasses in. he clicked it open, revealing about a dozen Volcano Badges, each pinned carefully to the bottom of the box.

"You've more than earned it!" he shouted over the roar of the engines as he detached two and tossed them to me. "One a piece. Now, we need to be going"

"Thank you," said Koga with a smile, offering his hand. Richard and I both shook it and watched as Koga gave us one final nod and followed Blaine back up the gangway.

A few seconds later, the airship took off, rising into the sky like a lost grey balloon. There went my answers… well, the chance of getting answers. But now that I thought about, all the questions I had wanted answered had been. The only questions left… well, I wasn't sure if I even wanted to know the truth behind them.

(-o-)

Richard and I walked slowly through Pallet town, which was in the middle of its mid-morning bustle. It used to be a very small town, apparently, but it had grown by a lot in the last few years. It now had a business hub at its center, the Pokemon reserve to the north, and a port on the sea.

We bought some food at the grocery store Casey had shown and headed back toward her house. It was still empty, and exactly as we had left it. The only difference was that there was no big brown shell beside it. I found the spare door key taped to the bottom of a loose board on the front porch and we let ourselves in.

It was just after noon then and Richard and I resolved to sleep (we hadn't gotten to since we spent last night fighting crazy environmentalists) first and discuss what to do next later.

When I woke up, it was at the next sunrise. I guess I was really out of it. Richard was still asleep in his room, so I turned on a few radios around the house and went to the kitchen. I fired up the stove and made breakfast –it was enough food for four, but I was expecting Richard to have a huge appetite. I knew I did; neither of us had eaten in almost a day too. No food to spare for a few heroic freeloading kids on the Icarus.

It took me a while to notice it. Once I had seen it, I didn't know how I could have missed it: Sebastian's shell was back in the yard, almost exactly where it had been. I could only stare at it through the kitchen window for a few minutes…

How had it gotten there? There was only one possible way, but… that would mean that Casey had come back. After a quick check of house and porch, I determined she wasn't there and hadn't left anything obvious behind…

Except for Sebastian.

I ran out into the yard and stared up at the big shell. It cast a shadow like a sundial on the grass… but what was he doing there?

With Venusaur ready to pull me to safety at a moment's notice, I stuck my head into the shell to have a look around. There was no complaint from within, no click of canons popping out to blast me away. I said the pokemon's name a few times, but there was no response. There was a slightly stale smell wafting from the folds of skin just ahead of me where Sebastian's head was hidden.

I had a feeling… was he dead? There didn't seem to be any other explanation. I withdrew my head from the opening and, with slight reluctance, slapped the side of the shell. Still, no reaction from Sebastian.

Venusaur walked over and sniffed the shell. He lowered his head sadly as he reached the same conclusion as I had.

The two of us spent the rest of the morning until Richard woke up gathering seashells from the beach and arranging them around intersection of shell and ground. It wasn't much, but it was the only sort of marker we could think of. The shells unconsciously formed a white-pink circle around the dead Pokemon… but I realized that there was something more fitting I could do.

By the time I was finished Richard had woken up and was examining the food in the kitchen like a hungry bear. I surveyed my work one last time before returning Venusaur and hurrying back into the house.

The seashells had been arranged around Sebastian in the shape of an eye, with his shell as a brown pupil in the center. A pupil. A center. A lens.

(-o-)

"So," said Richard, helping himself to the second of many servings of scrambled eggs. "What's next?"

I waited until he had snapped up a few more pieces of bacon, wiped his mouth with a slice of bread, eaten it, and gotten up for more eggs before speaking.

"Well, today, I'm going to go down the Pokemon Reserve and see Beech about my brother's Combusken. After that… well, I don't know. We still have one gym left complete. I say we head to Viridian… though after all the chaos there last night, I doubt the gym will be open again for a few more days."

"We've still got two months until the Pokemon League Tournament starts," said Richard. "That means we've got two month to win our badges. I say we do a little adventuring first. What's the rush?"

"Richard, we don't even know if there will still be a Pokemon League, let alone a Tournament. The building is a smoking crater… that's something else we should ask Beech about, I bet he'll know. And as for traveling… is there anywhere in Kanto we haven't been yet?"

"Saffron City," said Richard.

I sighed and said joking, "Anywhere that's worth seeing?"

We both chuckled, but Richard seemed to have something else to say.

"Actually," he said, "I was kind of thinking the Orange Islands."

I frowned uncertainly. Nothing wrong with them… but why exactly there?

"Oh, come on! Sunny beaches, warm water, bikinied girls!"

Ah. That's why. Should have known.

"It'll be great, and there are a lot trainers and Pokemon there. Oh, come on Ian, you know you want to. It'll be a good escape. We can relax, finally, for maybe a month, then come back here and win the badge. Easy."

Right.

Well, maybe a break was what I needed. I really did want to just go somewhere where I wouldn't have to worry for a while. There were a lot of things to worry about, but… maybe he was right. I mean, how bad could it be?

How many times have I said that in the last few weeks?

"Ok," I said at last. Richard pumped his fist in the air and beamed at me. "But give me a few days here first. I need to go see Beech and I should probably call me dad. I haven't seen him in a while."

(-o-)

"Please tell me you didn't have anything to do with what went on in Viridian yesterday." That was the first thing Beech said to us. How kind and courteous of him. No greetings, just one awkward question. The fact that Casey was no longer with us made things a little more awkward.

The Professor seemed to be pretty tried at the moment: he was dashing around busily even as we spoke to him. His long black hair stuck out crazily, in spite of his headband. He looked frazzled, to say the least.

"We were the ones stopping it…" said Richard.

"And Casey? I know her grandfather was involved with until the day he died. I realized it as soon as that masked man appeared on TV. I recognized… he used to be a friend of Georgiou's. His name was… John, yes, that was it. John some-kind-of-bird. I can't believe this. It is so crazy! The world almost ended yesterday, and my friend, and apparently my god-daughter, were involved!"

"Casey was helping us," I tried to explain. "But when it was over, she stole an airship and flew off to make sure that the man who killed her grandfather was dead. Yes, her grandfather founded the Storm's Eye, but his power was taken form him at his death by a man named John Rook, who also killed him. Casey said she had to return the organization to something that represented her grandfather's initial dream. That's why she's not with us, if you're wondering."

"Wondering? I haven't had time to think about that wretched family for anything other than how to distance myself from their names. It won't be long before the police get wind of this and come asking about both of them…"

"The police won't be a problem," I said, remembering some of Volkner's words. "The people that took care of it... they have it all under control. The police aren't and won't be involved."

There was a brief pause and the three of us stood still. It didn't last long though, because Beech remembered what he was doing and rushed off to finish whatever business he was doing.

"But the reason we're here," I said, following him more slowly. "Is because I was finally able to get access to my brother's PC and I found out that all his Pokemon have been released into the reserve. I don't want them back, they've probably adjusted to live here, but there's one still in the box. A Combusken. Why is it there?"

Beech's eyes flicked upward, like he was reading an overhead sign. After a second, he came out of his remembering-trance with a chuckle and looked back at me.

"Ah, yes, Combusken. I do recall that one… it incapacitated three of my Pokemon handlers and attacked any Pokemon that came near it. When it wasn't trying to kill things, it usually just sat by itself beneath a tree. It only ate when it had to and didn't seem to sleep. Eventually, we had to return it to its box to keep it from injuring any more Pokemon."

"I see," I said. So, a challenge. Well, along with Electabuzz, I had two angsty Pokemon to deal with.

"There's one more thing," said Richard quickly. "What about the Pokemon League Tournament? Is it still going to take place, and if so, where and when?"

"Ryoku Suzuki issued a press statement last night. Didn't you see it?" we both shook our heads. "Well, he sated that this year, the Kanto Tournament would be held at the Battle Tower on Seven Island at the usual date." There was another pause as Richard nodded with the new information. "So what are you two going to do next?" Beech asked at last.

"We're heading down to the Orange Islands."

"Ah," the Professor said with a smile. "That's my old neck of the woods. If you by any chance run into her, could you tell Professor Ivy to give me a call?"

We promised to on our way out. I had a feeling we would run into a lot of people in the Orange Island, but there was still only one person I wanted to see, and she was miles away.


	35. Chapter 34: Interlude for Rook

Chapter 34: Interlude for Rook

**Chapter 34: Interlude for Rook**

He caught flashes of vision as he lay on the ground, but at first, Rook though they were the beginnings of death. He knew he would die soon… but he didn't; he just slept.

He woke with a distant explosion and already knew that the Iris had died. Rook moaned and tried to go back to sleep, but he was surrounded by cold. All around him, there was nothing but dripping, hard blocks. Rook could feel frigid water stinging against hands and face.

Face. His face was covered in metal, so how could it feel anything?

Rook's eye snapped opened and he rolled over, pushing himself up on his hands. He realized that he was lying on Salamance's back. The poor Pokemon had broken his fall… and it had broken in the process. He didn't have to check it to know that it was dead. Out of habit, Rook also checked the mechanical gauntlets on both arms. His FSPA (Illuminator, he called it) was ruined; if only he had used it in that last battle with those blasted children, he would have won, but he had saved it out of foresight. He had wanted the glory of being the one supercharging Lugia for the final attack on Viridian. Glory had been his downfall.

But he had lived! For the moment, that was the important thing.

Rook checked his other wrist and found that the pads giving him control of the legendary birds had been smashed as well. Ah, well. There was life. There was possibility. He could survive.

All around him was ice. Chunks of the giant lens that had filled the Iris's center littered the earth, but they were melting in the sun that had manifested overhead. Rook knew he was in a forest, to the west of Viridian. He needed to get away from the latter, so going west was his best option. He could hide out in Johto, gather his resources, and hunt down the Hermes to free his men.

Then he would find those damn children, both of them, and make sure that they never took another breath of air. They weren't worthy to live on the earth…

The earth. Rook knew in his heart that that had been what had saved him. Mother Earth had spared his life because he had defended her when no one else would. She had saved him so that he could hunt down those that did her wrong… Ian Cartright and Casey Rhyne. Rook smiled with self-satisfaction as he worked his way out of the field of broken ice…

As he moved, he caught sight of his reflection on a piece of ice that stood like full length mirror in the ground. His mask was indeed gone, revealing the face beneath. That horrible, ruined face. Rook hated that face… but it was time to end his days behind the mask.

He reached to his chest and ripped off his trenchcoat as well as the shirt underneath and stood, staring at his scarred body's reflection in the ice. It was covered in red marks and boils, blisters from a fateful day long ago that still hand healed. Rook's right eye was swollen shut, and the lips had been burned away from his mouth, leaving him in a constant smear. The scars crossed Rook's chest like a red bandolier, and his face was divided in to by the ugly marks.

If he could have, Rook would have tried to tare the scars away, but they weren't half as bad as the memories the brought back.

In a fit of sudden rage, he kicked the chunk of ice, cracking but not breaking it. That only angered him more –his fragmented reflection was worse than his normal one. So he kicked again, this time reducing it to a jagged stub in the ground.

Rook turned, satisfied, and walked away into the woods.

He went for days, stopping only to sleep in the odd piles of leaves. There wasn't any food to be had in the forest… it was a wild wood. Perhaps it was because of it that Johto and Kanto had never been united as one nation, despite the fact that they were on the same continent.

Rook lost count of the days… there was little distinguishing them from night to someone as exhausted and hazed as him. He could have been walking for one hundred years, but he didn't know for sure. Regardless of exactly how long it was, it was a good while before he found the house. Not an empty house, like he had hoped but… it would do.

Rook realized as he saw the dwelling how rural it was. These are good people, he thought madly, people like me. People of the earth. He also realized that with a destination in sight, he no longer had the determination to keep himself going.

His strength rolled off him like the numerous pounds of weight that had in the recent… time, and he crashed to the mossy ground. Sleep consumed him, deeper and more fulfilling than any he had ever experienced.

(-o-)

Rook awoke to voices.

"But momma," someone was saying, either a girl or a very young boy. Rook suspected the latter. "He's so ugly. Why does he have to stay here? Why can't papa just take him into town."

"Now, Peter," said an older, female voice. So the first speaker had been a boy… "We must care for those less fortunate than us. This poor man has been through a lot. You can tell just by looking at him. If anyone in the world needs our help, it's him."

There was a sigh from somewhere else, and Rook was vaguely aware of people moving around him. With a pain like pulling out a bullet, Rook opened his eye. Above him was a rough wooden ceiling that seemed to slant upward from his feet. He got a second of good focus on it before his vision lapsed out again and he closed his eyes again. Rook rolled onto his side and tried again.

This time, he had a little more success. He took in a plain, square room, with a table at its center. There was an old woman sitting at the table, preparing some sort of food in a large, carved wooden bowl. There was a rustling noise form somewhere above Rook's head, on the other side of the Room.

"Mom," a third voice, also definitely female, said. "He's awake."

"Oh my," said the woman at the table getting up quickly and rushing to Rook's bedside. No sooner had she gotten there then did Rook lapse back into an unconscious sleep.

(-o-)

That evening, Rook found himself well enough to sit up and eat dinner with the family that had taken him in. Their Pokemon, a calm-eyed Heracross and a more attentive Bayleef, sat by the door eating from their own bowls.

Rook sat at one end of the table, with the mother and daughter to his left, and the son to his right. The father sat across from him.

Rook's fork eased into the meat that lay before him… some sort of bird or fish, he wasn't sure, but it tasted excellent. With his free left hand, Rook reached up to move his mask so that he could feed himself, before remembering that his mask was long gone. He sighed, attempted a smile, failed, and just put the food in his ruined mouth.

The whole family was staring at him intently. A few times, the little boy opened his mouth, as if to ask some questions, but his mother always hushed him in advance.

"You," said Rook after he had eaten his fill, "are precisely my kind of people: you live completely off the land, at one with nature. If everyone in the world was like you, we would have a much better planet."

"We're proud of our little life here," said the mother of the family.

"As well you should be," Rook replied with a chuckle.

"Sir, why is your face like that?" the son asked before his mother could object.

Rook paused, knife and fork in hand, then set down the utensils and looked at the boy with his single amber eye.

"Well… that, my lad, is a long and complicated story. The short version is that I was betrayed. A man I called my friend turned on me and did this to me. That man died, and now his brother, who believes I murdered I once-friend, is trying to kill me for revenge. He almost succeeded, but I escaped… sadly, my most-loved Pokemon died in the process."

"I'm sorry," said the boy in regards to his Pokemon. "I don't what I'd do if Percy died on me."

"Percy?"

"My Herracross."

"Ah," said Rook, looking over at the eating Pokemon. "A fine specimen. You should be glad to have him."

The boy beamed and turned back to his food.

"Now," Rook continued, turning the man sitting opposite him. "Would you be so kind as to tell me where the nearest city is? I have much work to do in a short amount of time."

"New Bark Town is about fifty miles to the south, but there's no hurry for you to leave!" the man said, stroking his thick beard. His daughter seemed to think otherwise… but Rook accepted the invitation nonetheless.

For the next week, he lived with the family, helping them as best he could. He worked in the muggy heat of the forest, chopping wood, planting crops in the nearby field, entertaining the young boy… he left, almost sadly, heading south with a pack full food his new family had prepared for him. And hanging from his belt, unbeknownst to the young boy, was a new, occupied pokeball.


	36. Chapter 35: Interlude for Casey

Chapter 35: Interlude for Casey

**Chapter 35: Interlude for Casey**

The airship hung low over the trees, its searchlights scanning the ruins of the Iris below. The hot metal and ruined gas bags of the flying fortress had been burning when they hit the ground and left a huge scar the face of the forest. Everything still smoldered slightly, and there were a few flickering flames that cast weird shadows off the warped metal…

Casey sighed angrily and rested her forehead against the windshield. She was exhausted from her hours of combing the wreckage on foot… the last sweep from the airship had seemed like a good idea at first, but she was quickly loosing interest. She was just… too… tired…

But wait: Rook couldn't be below the wreck of the Iris. The place where the lens had fallen (or really, had been knocked out by Ian, she thought angrily) would be miles to the north. The Iris had drifted to the south after the battle, while no one was controlling it.

So Rook could still be to the north, getting away!

_But if he's gotten away_, Casey thought, _he's already long gone, and if he's dead, he'll still be dead in the morning_. With that thought in mind, Casey flew sleepily to a clearing a few miles to the east, just south of Viridian Forest, and set the airship down. Careful to lock all the doors and post two of her Pokemon on guard, she curled in the small bunk room, holding Tediursa tightly in her arms.

Casey felt a little guilty about leaving Ian and Richard behind… mostly Ian. And she was starting to really like him, too… why did everyone she loved have to leave her? Well, she had left Ian. But if he had just let her kill Rook…

None of it would be happening. She and Ian might have been holding hands and watching the stars back at the beach house in Pallet Town then… instead, Casey was huddled in an airship, searching for a murderer. _Hardly romantic, not to mention lonely_… Casey rolled over so that she faced the metal wall and focused on the dark around her until she was asleep. It was hallow and unsatisfactory, but sleep nonetheless.

(-o-)

The airship's windshield had several built in scanners and filters; Casey used the infrared heat-sensing device to check the blocks of ice she had discovered about six miles north of where the Iris crashed.

The only thing she could see was the blue-on-blue layers of ice… no warm bodies. But when she switched off the infrared filter, something came into view among the chunks of ice. Something large and gray.

Casey quickly landed the airship and jumped out, Nidoqueen and Totodile just behind her. She sprinted over to the body lying among the ice, moving more carefully as she neared it. Salamance lay still on the ground, which had turned to mud beneath it. Casey didn't have to experiment to know that it was dead. The Pokemon had sunk in to the soggy earth, but had yet to start to rot. The ice seemed to have preserved it.

It was a little sad really… Rook hadn't even bothered to burry his favorite Pokemon. Casey sighed, and with Nidoqueen's help, dug a shallow grave and put the dead dragon in it. But there was still no sign of Rook. He had gotten away.

Casey checked around the ice field and found a few muddy footprints, heading west, but they ended at the mulch and loam of the forest floor…

But there was something else, another clue: lying in a puddle next to the line of prints was Rook's white trench coat. And sticking out of the mud at its side, like a monolith for ants, was Rook's metal mask.

Casey scooped it up, trying not to get her fingers in the mud. _As if he didn't stand out enough already…_

She set the mask on Salamance's grave like a tombstone… of sorts. What she really wanted to do was smash the mask. That face had killed her grandfather… that face had ruined her life. She wouldn't let Rook harm anyone ever again… she would hunt him, and he would never get away… but first, she needed to re-supply for the journey ahead, and maybe sleep for a few nights in an actual bed.

As soon as it was dark, Casey climbed back into her airship and headed south, to Pallet Town.

(-o-)

Casey landed on the beach just to the east of Pallet Town and ran through the sand until she reached the familiar back porch of her house.

Somewhere along her journey, she had misplaced her copy of the house key. She couldn't go to Beech for his copy, so she would have to take the spare from under the front porch… as she went around the house, Casey saw that the kitchen light was on. Her first thought was that she had left the light on the last time she had been there…

_Beech will be pissed about the electric bill…_

But as she reached the front porch and fished underneath the loose board, Casey found the spare key was missing. No one who didn't know it was there could have found it, so…

Casey darted back to the kitchen window and looked in. She couldn't see anyone, but there where dirty plates stacked next to the sink, and Ian and Richard's backpacks lay on the floor by the front door. Casey swallowed and slowly backed away from the window…

There was a chime from her bag. Casey ducked down, sat on the ground, and opened her bag… immediately, one of the pokeballs burst open with a flash of red light. Suddenly, Sebastian stood, back to her, on the grass. The huge turtle Pokemon waddled back to the spot where he had sat since Casey's grandfather had died and returned to his shell. There was no point in trying to move him… she had been lucky to get him away the first time. So Casey let him lie there. Maybe Ian could find something to do with him…

Ian.

_I need to see him,_ she thought, heading toward the back porch.

(-o-)

The window was open, letting in a cool night breeze. It also let in Casey, though Ian didn't know or intend that.

She stood beside his bed, her thin shadow, cast by moon, falling on his chest. His glasses sat on the table beside his bed. The radio on the windowsill was turned on, but silenced. Ian looked different without his glasses on… Casey wasn't sure whether she liked it better or worse. His hair was a mess too, and getting long. Some days it had seemed like he never combed it.

Casey found herself crying and didn't know what to do. She wanted to take Ian's hand or hug him, but was afraid he might wake up… looking around nervously, to make sure she was truly alone in the room, Casey dropped to her knees like a young child praying by her bed.

She leaned in and kissed Ian gently on the lips… he didn't react, so she did it again, not sure if she wanted him to wake up or not. This time, he groaned and rolled over… but he was smiling in his sleep: Casey checked.

Wiping away her tears, she vaulted out the window, landed quietly on the porch, and took off running down the beach, back towards her ship.

She hadn't gotten supplies, but she could get those somewhere else. She had to get away from Ian for now… even though the only thing she really wanted to do was be with him.

_I promise I'll go back,_ she told herself. _I'll go back to Ian as soon as I'm done with Rook. I promise._


	37. Chapter 36: The Islands

Chapter 36: The Islands

**Chapter 36: The Islands**

Lucky for us, a ferry ran from Pallet to Hamlin, the northernmost of the Orange Islands.

"So… what now?" I asked. Thirty seconds off the ferry and we were already at a loss. Richard looked around, scratching his head. The Islands where pretty far out in the boonies, I must say, but already, they seemed like a nice place. I mean, who doesn't love tropical Cities and never-ending beaches?

"Pummelo Island is where the League Central is located. I bet it's swarming with trainers…" he added with a demented grin.

"Sounds alright to me." I looked out across the city that spread from the port. Yeah, I guess this could be fun.

(-o-)

Charizard carried us across the water toward Pummelo, flying low… but as we grew close to the island, we became aware of something else flying with us: coming towards us, flying parallel to the beach and at the same altitude as us was… some sort of Pokemon. Whatever it was, it was moving fast enough kick up a wake in the water, even though it was flying.

The Pokemon passed behind us, moving in a wide circle around the island, but for some reason, turned and followed us toward Pummelo. I turned on Charizard's back to try and figure out what it was, and when I realized it, I turned back and told Richard to turn his Pokemon around.

Flying behind us was a big, golden Dragonite. It was gaining fast… and there was something about it…

Charizard turned, kicking up a spray, and stayed, flapping, a few feet above the water. The other dragon Pokemon came to a sudden stop as well, staring intently at me… and then I realized something else: it was Matt's Dragonite! I don't know how I knew, but it definitely was. I could just tell. It was too familiar to be otherwise.

After a moment of staring, the Dragonite nodded and turned away from us. Seconds later, it was speeding off in its circumnavigation of the island. I stared after it until it was long out of sight. In the meantime, Charizard brought us safely to the beach on Pummelo.

"I think," I told Richard once we had landed, "That that was my brother's Dragonite."

"No way!" said Richard, smiling. "How'd you think he got here?"

"I don't know. Flew, I guess. But why?"

There was a moment of thoughtful silence as we continued up the beach. The city rose up on the hills of the island in front of us, and on the highest crest was the huge coliseum. I was reminded, sadly, of the destroyed Kanto League Building. It would take a long time to undo the damage Rook did… I felt a little bad I wasn't helping, but the Hermes were capable. And I needed a break.

"Well," Richard commented finally, "I told you it was a good idea to come here."

I smiled and punched him in the arm. "Yeah, I guess you were right. For once."

(-o-)

Starme's gem pulsed, releasing a burst of blue-gold gold stars that tore across the beach. My opponent, a shaggy Primape, leapt over the attack, only to find that the stars had curved upward and caught him from below. It's virtually impossible to dodge Swift…

Something small and blue slammed into Starme's side and sent it crashing into the sand: Marill, our other foe. Richard's Rhyhorn caught the little water Pokemon by surprise and hurled it into the air on its horn. He would have caught with another attack on its way down if the Marill hadn't been smart; it cleared a landing spot by stunning Rhyhorn with a Bubblebeam.

There was a brief pause. All four Pokemon stared at each other… and then the battle resumed.

We had gone on like that for most of the morning, and into the afternoon. I'd lost a few matches when I fought alone, but when I teemed up with Richard, we always won.

Starme caught Marill with the tips of its spinning arms and sent it flying. It followed up with a Power Gem that ended the match.

"Not bad, either of you," said a voice from behind us. I turned slowly to see Ryoku walking towards us across the sand. The strange orange and black robes he had worn before were gone, and now he was clad in black board shorts, patterned with big cartoon flowers. A string of pokeballs hung around his neck.

"Thanks," Richard and I said at once.

"So what are you two doing here? Didn't we just leave you off a few days ago in Pallet?"

"We're on vacation for a while," Richard said before I could speak.

"Don't suppose either of you would care for an informal battle on your vacation, would you?"

"Sure!" we both said, again, at the same time.

"I've always found battling is a great way to relax, especially with friends. Matt and I had our share of crazy fights, both as partners and opponents. I don't suppose he ever mentioned me?" the champion asked.

"He did, actually," I told him. "I never really believed any of the stories he told me about you though; I never thought Matt was associated with someone as high-ranking as a champion."

Ryoku laughed. "You know, we're not as high and mighty as people think. And speaking of champions, with Wallace gone, the competition in Hoenn this coming year is going to be fierce with a championship title on the line. But anyways… where were we?"

"Me first!" Richard said jumping forward, but Ryoku shook his head, pointing at me.

"I'd like a battle with my old friend's kin first, if that's alright." He continued, speaking to me this time, "Let's see if you got any of Matt's battle skills. Go Eggsegutor!"

I looked around the beach. Where had that Pokemon gotten to… I saw a pair of stubby pink legs wiggling out of the top of a picnic basket. The picnickers to which the basket belonged looked dumbstruck. I called Lickitung's name, and he pulled out of the basket quickly, a roll of sausages hanging out of his mouth. He scampered over to my side, oblivious to the trouble he'd caused and the angry stairs of the people behind us.

"That's a good specimen you've got there," Ryoku said, nodding at my Pokemon. "Let's see if he's got the moves to match the looks… Eggsegutor, start out with Confusion!"

The sand in front of Lickitung exploded upward as my foe unleashed his psychic-type attack. Lickitung somehow avoided behind hit, but wound up on his toes. He wobbled for a moment, then fell on his back in the sand, tongue lolling toward the sky.

"Stomp!" Ryoku ordered. His Pokemon leapt into the air and came down at Lickitung, foot outstretched… only to have the limb inhaled by Lickitung. My Pokemon's tongue was wrapped around Eggsegutor's foot, and seemed to be lodged partially down its throat… the grass Pokemon was looking down, its multiple faces displaying a variety of emotions, disgust chief among them.

"Cast him out, Lickitung!" I called. My Pokemon jumped to his feet, forcing Eggsegutor into an awkward position. With a gurgle, Lickitung let his tongue uncoil like a spring, tossing Eggsegutor onto his back in the sand. And without arms, it would be nearly impossible for it to get up.

"Confusion to lift," Ryoku said calmly. Eggsegutor focused briefly, and then, miraculously, levitated back to its feet. It had used Confusion on itself… that was a good idea. No wonder Ryoku was the champion of two countries. "Now Egg Bomb."

A barrage of glowing-green eggs sailed out of Eggsegutor's leaves, crashing into the sand Lickitung dodged the first volley, but was hit in the second, and rolled to my feet.

Rolling.

Casey had used a move involving rolling… it had looked like a steel-type cross between Rollout and Rapid Spin… Gyro Ball, that was it.

"Lickitung?" I called. "There's a move I think you know… I'm sure you can do it, it's just rolling and spinning. It's called Gyro Ball."

Immediately, Lickitung was on his feet and nodding. Did he know what I was talking about? It was hard to say, but worth a shot nonetheless. Eggsegutor seemed to be taking a quick break… it had stopped firing egg grenades for the moment, but would no doubt start again as soon as Lickitung started moving.

"Go, with Gyro Ball!"

Lickitung popped into his usual Rollout shape and barreled toward Eggsegutor. The grass Pokemon saw it coming and fired an Egg Bomb directly into Lickitung's path… the explosion sent my Pokemon up in the air, but he came down and bounced off of Eggsegutor's head before rolling to safety.

"I don't think that was a Gyro Ball attack," Ryoku said sincerely. "Are you sure your Pokemon understands you?"

I said noting but looked at Lickitung, who was resting just out of Eggsegutor's range…

"Again!" I called out.

Lickitung began rolling again, but this time… there was something different about the attack. He seemed to rotate sideways as well as forward, spinning like a gyroscope on his vertical axis. Was this Gyro Ball?

It looked like Lickitung's attack was going to go wide of his target. He spun across the sand, staying just ahead of the attacks Eggsegutor was using in an attempt to intersect him. Then I realized something else: Lickitung was curving in his path. And if he kept turning like he was, then he would come right around and into…

Ryoku realized Lickitung's path was curved too… but he realized it a few seconds too late. Lickitung slammed in Eggsegutor knocking it into the air… and there was a white flash and a blast of light from Lickitung. Was that an Explosion attack? I didn't think Lickitung could learn that technique naturally…

Lickitung kept going, traveling under Eggsegutor as it fell through the air. He came to a stop behind the grass Pokemon, before it hit the ground, and uncurled from his ball form.

Wait a second: that wasn't Lickitung. The Pokemon standing there now was bigger, rounder, and with an even huger tongue. A full grown Lickilicki stood on the beach. Wow, two evolutions in four days. If I kept up like this, I would have a full team of super-Pokemon by the end of the week!

As Eggsegutor thudded to the ground, I began to wonder it looked as surprised as Ryoku. Probably, but it was about to get a little worse for him.

"Lickilicki, Flamethrower!"

My Pokemon's cheeks puffed out as he quickly built the flames, then released them, sending a thick jet of fire straight at Eggsegutor. But somehow, Ryoku seemed to have prepared his Pokemon for even something like this: Eggsegutor used Confusion on itself once more, flipping into the air acrobatically and shielding itself from the flames with a Protect bubble. It landed behind Lickilicki and blasted him away with a quick Egg Bomb…

My Pokemon fell to the ground, fainted.

"That was a good move," Ryoku said, watching to make sure Lickilicki didn't get back up this time. "Really, really good. You almost had me… I have a feeling next time I won't be so lucky."

(-o-)

"So Ryoku," I said afterwards. The three of us were sitting in the surf, most of Richard's and my Pokemon with us. Venusaur's orange flower shaded us, and Starme and Kingler chased each other in the deeper water. Jolteon, Tangela, and Rhyhorn seemed to be attempted to entertain Eggsegutor, and Charizard and Fearow slumped in the sand behind us. Lickilicki was sprawled out under the umbrella of the picnickers he had eaten with (or from, really) earlier; the aforementioned couple seemed to have abandoned their spot.

"Yes?"

"What was Matt really like? Sometimes, I feel like I hardly knew him… the real him, anyways. I mean, did you know he was member of the Hermes? I didn't, and I was his brother!"

Ryoku seemed to think about this for a minute before answering.

"Matt was, first and foremost, a friend. He never let me down, especially when I needed him, and he always stood up for what he believed in. He was always a person you didn't want as your enemy, but when we did fight, he always respected me whether he won or lost. As for the Hermes, I knew that at one point he became a member, but I don't know what kind of work he did for them. I don't want to know. And maybe he didn't tell you because… well, there are some things you just can't tell your family, no matter how much you love them."

I nodded. Richard seemed to be twitching impatiently on Ryoku's other side.

"Um, Ryoku…" He started, but there was one more thing I had to know.

"Did you know my brother's Dragonite was here, on Pummelo Island?"

Ryoku smiled and laughed. "I didn't know that, but I'm not surprised. Pummelo is the ancestral home of the Dragonite and one of only two places in the world where you can find them wild. The other is the Dragon's Den, in Johto. The Orange League Master, Drake –whose grandfather is the Elite Four Drake, in Hoenn- enlists them as guardians for the whole island… so your brother's Pokemon has been doing good work."

A guardian… that seemed right for Dragonite, somehow. Matt would have wanted it, I think.

"Ok, Ryoku," Richard said impatiently. "Are you ready to battle me now? Please?"

Ryoku sighed, but he was smiling. "Alright kid. You're pretty feisty… if you're this hasty with your Pokemon, you won't stand a chance against me."

Richard and Ryoku splashed to their feet and padded back over the sand. I climbed up onto Venusaur's back and he turned slowly to face my friends, to give me a better view of the battle.

Richard whistled loudly and Charizard flapped over to his side. Ryoku squinted at the Pokemon, his smile going wider.

"Your starter Pokemon, I take it? That's one of the tougher Charizards I've seen…" He paused, taking the pokeball from the center of his necklace. "Do you mind if I use my starter as well?"

"Go ahead," called Richard confidently.

Ryoku tossed his ball up in the air, caught it, spinning, on the tip of his finger before pressing the button. There was a burst of red light, and suddenly, a Pikachu was standing cutely on the beach. Its eyes blazed a brilliant ocean blue. It scratched its ear with one of its hind legs like a puppy… but this Pokemon was far more dangerous than any puppy in history.

Charizard looked down its nose (or snout, really) at the little electric Pokemon… it didn't seem to think much of its foe. That could be a mistake.

"Luc, Volt Tackle!"

Luc… I guess Ryoku named his Pokemon; or at least his Pikachu.

The electric Pokemon's body lit up with blue and gold sparks and he flew like a firework at Charizard's head. Their skulls connected, and Richard's Pokemon was jarred both by the force and the voltage. Charizard fell onto its butt, the flame on its tail creating a puddle of molten sand.

"Fight back!" Richard called frantically. "Slash!"

With a single wing beat, Charizard was back on its feet. The fire Pokemon lumbered after its agile foe, taking swipes with its claws. Luc skipped back, ducking under and leaping over Charizard's attacks.

After a few minutes, Charizard began growing tired. Its shoulders were already starting to sag, and the flame on its tail was going low…

"Flamethrower!" Richard ordered.

"Light Screen!" Ryoku countered.

Luc scrunched up its bright blue eyes and a collection of shimmering screens appeared in the air before him. The flames were deflected off the Light Screens, and Charizard looked even more deflated than before.

"Try Iron tail," suggested Richard… his confidence was almost completely gone. I would have sorry for him if he hadn't gotten himself into this situation in the first place.

"Same thing, Luc."

Both Pokemon's tails glinted metallically, and they clashed together, sending up sparks. Despite the fact that his opponent was several times than him, Luc's attack dealt a lot more damage. Charizard was pushed even further back. Luc didn't even seem to be tiring yet.

"Ok, let's end this Luc." Ryoku nodded at me, but spook to Richard. "Your friend there isn't the only one with a few surprises. Luc, use Surf!"

The Pikachu's eyes shimmered blue, and it moved its little yellow arms like a maestro commanding a symphony. Before Charizard or Richard knew what was going on, a ten-foot-high wave crashed in from the sea, directed by Luc, and struck the fire Pokemon down.

Richard returned his Pokemon, shocked, and gave Ryoku a questioning look. The champion just shrugged, inviting his Pokemon to sit on his shoulders. Luc found a place on Ryoku's bushy hair.

"Some Pikachu are born with the ability to control more than just one type. I've heard of Pikachu that could maneuver in the air, using balloons for lift, or even use fire-type attacks… but water is much more common. Luc isn't the world's only Pikachu to know Surf, but he's definitely the strongest."

(-o-)

That evening we made plans to move on to the next island, leaving the champion to his vacation. Before he left, Ryoku worked with me a little bit on Lickilicki's fire technique… and we developed a few new surprises for my Pokemon as well.

In the morning, Richard and I would head on to South Mandarin Island, though we hadn't decided whether to fly or take the ferry yet. Charizard was still injured, and rather disgruntled, from his loss against Ryoku, so we would probably take the latter… that night I looked out the window of our hotel room at the dark sea that rolled away to the horizon. I was thinking about Casey.

I knew she must've come to her beach house while we were there… how else had Sebastian gotten there? I wondered if she had left me some kind of message or keepsake back at the house, but doubted it. She had had enough trouble saying goodbye already.

I didn't want to admit that I probably wouldn't see her again. I just had a feeling… no, I had two conflicting feelings, one insisting she would come back, and the other knowing she was gone for good.

(-o-)

Dragonite pointed a golden claw at the harbor, at the man standing next to it peered through a brass telescope to see what the Pokemon was indicating.

The man wore black jeans a red sleeveless shirt, which was unbuttoned down the front, showing off his chiseled muscles. His long black hair ruffled in the wind.

Through the spyglass he could see two boys, one with short dark hair and the other with long blonde, boarding a ferry. They were the last two to get on, and were a few meters behind everyone else. It was clear that Dragonite was pointing to them.

"Do you mean to follow them?" the man, whose name was Drake, asked. The Dragonite nodded intelligently and flapped its wings in excitement. "I see nothing wrong with it. I have lots of other Pokemon that will defend the island, but you've done a good job, my friend. I hope someday you will return to see us."

The Dragonite bowed low, its tendrils sweeping the floor, before rushing toward one of the arched windows of the coliseum and leaping into the light. Drake watched from the shade as the dragon Pokemon spiraled into the air and almost out of sight, soaring high above the ferry bound for South Mandarin Island.


	38. Chapter 37: Abandonment Issues

Well, sorry this chapter took so long: once again, I almost have up on this story since I am working on so many others (not fanfictions) but I think I need to finish it; I won't rest easily if I don't

Well, sorry this chapter took so long: once again, I almost have up on this story since I am working on so many others (not fanfictions) but I think I need to finish it; I won't rest easily if I don't. and I think people like this story (you seem to, anyways; I get good reviews, mostly)… so who knows? Maybe I'll even get around to writing the sequels I had planned. You can at least expect this story to finish, so read on! I'm busy with school starting, but I'll try and write more when I can.

**Chapter 37: Abandonment Issues**

Two weeks later, Richard and I found ourselves resting on a little unnamed island northwest of South Mandarin; we had spent a while in the Big Orange, training in arenas and on beaches, against a variety of characters. In that time, I tried to use Combusken and Electabuzz in a few fights, but they usually wound up pouting bad-temperedly or lunging at me or some other innocent person instead.

They couldn't let go of their rage at being abandoned, even though it was by accident in both cases. Can Pokemon understand what is and isn't intentional? I don't think anyone really knows.

At my insistence, Richard and I were taking a break from our battles, relaxing, swimming and living off canned foods on the desert beach. Most of the island behind us was covered in jungle, too rough and wild to attempt to traverse; for the most part, we remained camped on the beach in our new, instant tents, which Beech had given us on our departure.

"So… are you still going to try to dump Electabuzz on me?" Richard asked as we sat in the sand, patiently watching the turquoise waves roll in.

"When I get him tamed," I said. That is assuming that I would ever get him tamed… "And when you find something you want to trade me for him."

"Let him out," said Richard, getting up. "I want to try something."

I looked nervously at my friend, but there was a cocky smile on his face, like he knew something I didn't. I shrugged, reluctantly reaching for Electabuzz's pokeball…

Sensing my touch, the electric Pokemon forced the ball open and pounded angrily into the sand, sending up a tan, biting spray. It shrieked irately and beat its chest like a monkey, hopping back in the sand so that it's back rested against a palm tree.

There was another red flash and Richard's Charizard appeared before us.

"I think he might just need a stern talking to," said Richard, grinning.

Charizard roared reproachfully, but Electabuzz didn't pay him any mind. The electric Pokemon turned nastily to the sand, to etch angst-themed patterns around his feet. There was an orange blur, and Charizard stood nose-to-nose with the electric Pokemon. Richard's starter snorted steam and rumbled like a giant cat purring…

Electabuzz looked him fearfully in the eye before easing back and then, suddenly, swinging up into the palm tree and out of reach. Sparks fizzled nervously on its arms; its eyes looked uncertain.

Charizard sighed, sending gouts of steam from its nostrils, and punched the tree with enough force to send Electabuzz sprawling out of it. The electric Pokemon scrambled to its feet, only to find that Charizard was already lumbering toward it, staring it coldly in the eye.

"Attack us," Richard said quickly.

"What?"

"Just pretend to attack Charizard, OK? Trust me, I've got this worked out."

I think I was starting to see what Richard was doing. I nodded slowly and summoned Starme, whispering a quick string of orders. My Pokemon spun across the beach, flying low toward Charizard.

Starme bounced off the back of Charizard's head, waving its legs mockingly in the air before spiraling away over the sand. Charizard spit a jet of orange fire after it, but missed; probably on purpose. Starme rolled higher into the air and charged at Charizard once more… Electabuzz was watching, rapt and impressed.

This time, Richard struck a rather overly dramatic pose and called out to his Pokemon to block the attack. Charizard caught Starme be two of its legs and twisted it to the side, hurling it so that it hit a palm tree. Starme sagged falsely, just as I had ordered it to, simulating defeat.

A few minutes later, Electabuzz was sitting adoringly at Richard and Charizard's feat, watching them with wide eyes. When I looked at Richard questioningly, he just raised his eyebrows and smiled.

"Sometimes…" he dug for the right word, "empathy isn't strong enough to heal. Sometimes you need something a little more material to make you feel better, like a goal. A place to be."

I didn't realize it at the time, but he was speaking as much about me as Electabuzz.

(-o-)

"What about Combusken?" Richard asked later that evening, as the sun melted away and the stars began to poke out. "Do you think my little jealousy trick will work on her?"

"I don't know." I stared off into the dark sky, genuinely unsure. "It might be worth a shot… but something's strange about Combusken. It's almost like she knows that Matt is dead and that she didn't get to punish his killer."

"Why wouldn't she?"

"Well, I don't know. How would she have found out her trainer was dead? I mean, Electabuzz knows its trainer left it behind, I think. But… Combusken might not even know Matt's not coming back for her. She might still be waiting for him. And if that's the case, and she stays waiting for him forever, she's never going change. I just… I don't know. I think Combusken has a completely different set of issues."

Richard nodded solemnly.

And suddenly, we were no longer alone.

I think I heard them first, little ripples of laughter from somewhere else on the island. I had been lying on my back, but I sat up at once, scanning the darkening beach for whoever had made the noises. After a moment, I was able to pick out a pair of silhouettes on darker side of the island, standing like cutouts against the stars. One of them waved; it was such a wide, friendly gesture that I suddenly felt I could trust whoever it was coming toward us.

I shook Richard, alerting him to our guests, who were now meandering toward us, kicking up sand. We sat there and waited for whoever was coming toward us through the dark.


	39. Chapter 38: Ambivalence

Chapter 38: New Companions

**Chapter 38: Ambivalence**

"Mind if we take a seat?" a voice called from the dark. It was definitely a female voice, and not one I recognized. Not one of the admins of the Storm's Eye, escaped from their prisons, or something worse… and, much as I had hoped to hear it again, it was not Casey's voice. This was someone else, as far as I could tell.

And sure enough, two girls stepped into the circle of light from our fire. They seemed to be about our age, and wore the comfortable clothes and traveling gear of trainers. One was short and very thin. Her long blonde fell gracefully around her shoulders, despite the outdoor conditions she had no doubt endured. The other was taller with hair that seemed black in the night, but was probably a nice shade of brown; it was curly and straggled wildly out from under the yellow bandanna she wore. They were both good looking, despite the general bedraggled quality that hung around them, as it did all travelers.

"Hi," the dark-haired girl said; I could tell from her voice that she had also been the one to speak before. "Sorry to mooch off of you guys, but we let it get dark before we could light a fire and now we can't find our bags."

"I'm telling you, they're not where I left them!" the other one insisted loudly. "I know right where I set them down, and they aren't there anymore."

"Whatever," the first continued, smiling at me as if to make up for her friend's volume. "Anyways, if it's alright… well, could we camp here for the night?"

"Sure," said Richard happily, before I could answer. He got up and offered his hand, first to the blonde girl, then the dark haired one. "I'm Richard."

"Hanna," said the blonde one, blushing.

"Andy," said the other, sparing Richard no such indulgence. Andy turned and looked at me. I waved from where I sat in the sand. "And you?" she asked, smiling cheekily. "You do speak, right?"

I laughed humorlessly. Funny girl. "Ian," I said.

"Good to know you."

The girls plopped down in the sand. I noticed, then, that what Andy had said was true: they had no backpacks. They did, however, have pokeballs. Hanna had three, Andy five. I watched them carefully, as if they might spring open at any moment.

At least the girls seemed non-threatening.

"So what brings too lovely ladies like you out to a place like this?"

"Andy's moving in a month," Hanna explained, seemingly to Andy's dismay. Hanna was already starting to remind me of Richard, and I'd only known her for a few minutes. Wow. "So we came down here to hang out for a few days before she does."

"My dad's an archeologist," Andy said reluctantly. "He's been studying out here since I was born, and now he's decided to move us to his dig site in the Hoenn Desert."

"Oh," said Richard, wincing. "That sucks."

"Yeah, you're telling me?" Andy spat back.

I was about to say something, to reprimand her for being so rude, but I realized that she probably really was having a hard time. As a trainer, she had no doubt traveled, but then, at least, she'd had her friend. Unless Hanna was able to go with her to Hoenn, Andy would be leaving her best friend (and her companion) behind.

I felt a little pang of sympathy for her and softened. The four of us chatted for a while about all sorts of things –Pokemon, our preferred types and strategies, and places we'd been. As it turned out, Hanna was from Fuchsia City and had gotten her starter on the day that Andy had arrived in Pallet Town. The two had run into each other (literally) when Andy saw a thief steel Hanna's pokeball. Already having her first Pokemon, Andy helped her out, saving the pokeball and getting the thief arrested. They'd traveled together ever since.

We didn't mention that we'd broken the Storm's Eye, or that we were friends with the girl who was trying to put the pieces back together. It just didn't seem like the right thing to say.

Hanna reminded me of Richard. She was brash and confident and loyal… she even had a fire starter like he did, a female Charizard (which I would later find out was slightly smaller than his, but just as feisty and strong). I could see that he thought so too, in the way he agreed with her happily and smiled at her jokes.

And for some reason, some where inside me, I was hoping that Andy was reminding my friend of me, or vice versa.

I felt instantly horrible at the thought: Casey had been gone for only a few days and already I was looking for someone again. Hell, Casey and I hadn't even officially started or ended our relationship, but… I didn't know. It was hard to know just what to do, so I squashed my ambivalence and tried to make conversation.

(-o-)

In the morning, Richard and I were the first up. The girls were asleep, bundled in their bags, a little way bag from the fire.

We nodded to each other quietly in the morning light and started making a breakfast from the bits of food we'd brought with us. Charizard relit the fire and we started cooking our aging bacon and canned eggs (tastes better than it sounds).

The girls awoke from the smells and gathered hopefully by the fire. They stumbled into each comically; for some reason, they both seemed completely exhausted. They must've stayed up, talking, after Richard and I had gone to sleep.

We all ate together in silence. When we were done, Richard buried the leftovers in the sand and began kicking out the fire.

"So what are your plans for… the rest of your time here?" Richard asked.

"I wanted to show Hanna the glass market on Sun Burst Island, and then maybe go Lapras watching off Tangelo."

"You're both welcome to come," Hanna said, quickly and nervously, before her friend could stop her. Yeah, definitely like Richard.

There were conferences between the two parties, the girls' and ours. Richard was desperate to go with them, but… we still had the eighth gym to complete and I wanted to be without the strange emotions I was already starting to feel for Andy. I was fairly confident in my argument, fairly sure we would part ways with the girls.

Do I really need to say it?

Of course, we wound up going with them.


	40. Chapter 39:Interlude for Us aka Montage!

**Chapter 39: An Interlude for Us **

Wow.

The next few weeks passed like a montage through a field of clouds. Cheesy analogy, I know, but it really is hard to describe exactly how it felt. I'll detail a few of our little traipses through the islands here as well as some other things… so here we go.

First off, we battled over the place: the four of us against each other, in two-on-two matches, and against other trainers we met along the way. Andy's starter was a Meganium, and Hanna's a Charizard. Meganium and Venusaur hit it off immediately; Richard frequently commented on what a cute couple they made, accompanying his remarks with potent nods at Andy and me. We both ignored him.

All that aside, I found that I could really relate to Andy. She baby-sat Hanna almost as much as I had to baby-sit Richard. She was the brains and conscience of the duo, and I often found myself feeling the same way. She got my jokes and liked my strategies.

Yes!

(-o-)

We wound up going to Tangelo Island first. After spending the morning watching the cruise ships lumber in and out of the bay, we went to Pokemon Park, rode the Pokemon-themed rides and eat ourselves sick on carnival food. Andy and I used my Jolteon and her Vaporeon to take on Flareon and Umbreon in an accidental match at the park; we won, needless to say. Andy's Vaporeon is an impressive Pokemon, probably one of her strongest.

I tried to persuade Combusken out of her silent tantrum with Andy and Hanna's help. But unlike Electabuzz (who now followed Richard and Charizard around adoringly whenever he could) she refused to be dissuaded.

(-o-)

The next day, we flew north, to Sunburst Island. It was a pretty, rocky, forested place with a small artistic village on the coast. A bustling market, favored by locals from the surrounding islands and the more informed tourists, sold shells larger than men and beautiful blown-glass sculptures by local artists. While Richard and Hanna weren't looking, I bought Andy a bracelet with a glass flower on it, which looked like the flower on her Meganium.

I could tell her smile was genuine when she put it on. She thanked me with a hug, and then, to my surprise, a quick, careful peck on the cheek.

It literally knocked the wind out of me. I fought to batten down the butterflies and smile, but I was so shocked… and worst of all, I couldn't tell if I liked it or not. My ambivalence was spinning like a top in my head. What was I supposed to do?

I was saved the bell. Well, I was saved by Richard, but you get it.

"Hey guys," Richard called from down the sloping street we stood on. He and Hanna trotted up to us, and I noticed encouragingly that they were holding hands. "There's this old sailor down here that says that there's a rare species of Onix found only on this island. And…" he glanced giddily at Hanna. I could see how happy he was and I was glad for him… "We want to go check it out."

"Sounds like fun," Andy said, before I could respond. Out of instinct (I guess, or maybe reflex; who knows?) she reached for my hand. I was still a little dazed and let her take it. What's the worst that could happen? She continued, "What you mean, 'rare Onix'?"

"Well," said Richard, "Reportedly, it's made of solid crystal and is immune to water attacks. There was at least one, about ten years ago, that some trainer caught on little rock just of the coast here, but there's rumor going around that somebody saw one last week."

Hmm. Interesting. Well, even if I wasn't too interested in Onix, it would be a fun excursion. Andy squeezed my hand and smiled at me as we followed Richard and Hanna back down the street to get directions to the aforementioned rock. And this time, I was able to (almost) easily smile back.

Once we knew where we were going, I rented us a paddleboat from a portly man with a Quagsire of equal girth and we set out for the rock, which lay off the island's southern coast. There was a land bridge between it and the mainland, but it only appeared when the tide turned at specific times. We weren't feeling particularly patient, so we set off at once.

To call a rock would have been an understatement: it was a small, circular island, maybe eighty yards in diameter. Holes and rents in the rock gaped everywhere like hungry mouths. We picked the largest, most promising on, and entered. Jolteon provided us with a constant shower of sparks for light.

We wandered down the snaking tunnels until we came to large, central chamber. A pool of water to deep to see the bottom of took up most of the room… as we entered, Jolteon's stream of sparks stopped –we no longer needed it, because the room was lit from above by massive veins of luminescent crystal that ran through the ceiling.

"It's beautiful!" whispered Andy. Her grip on my hand had resumed and tightened.

"Well," I said to everyone, "If we were looking for _crystal_, we came the right place."

"Yeah," murmured Richard, clearly disappointed. "But where's the Onix?"

We searched for a few more hours –no Onix- and left more than a little disappointed, but we overcame it by renting a hotel room, ordering pizza, and watching TV until we fell asleep. I thought that that was the end of the matter.

Until the next morning, that is.

When I woke up, Richard was eating leftover pizza in the kitchen; the girls were still asleep, but there was a shiny new pokeball resting next to the empty cardboard takeout box on the table.

"You didn't…" I started to say. Richard cut me off with a nod.

"Oh but I did. It's not really a crystal Onix, but it's got some markings on it… just like that glowing stuff in the cave. I bet it's got some sort of advantage."

I smiled. "Yeah, I bet."

We asked around town a little bit, and a few people new about the cave and visited it themselves. No one knew what the glowing crystal was, and no reputable scientist had come to examine it. We felt like we were in on some kind of great secret after that, and even though the "secret" was just a pretty looking rock, it felt really good.

(-o-)

"Why name your Pokemon?" I asked Andy one morning about a week later. Maybe I forgot to mention this before, but Andy names all of her Pokemon. Her Meganium was called Chris, and I think her Vaporeon was Calypsa, but I don't remember.

"Why _don't_ you?" she said with a giggle. I laughed, but then gave her a look to let her know I was serious. "Well, I don't know. Why do you name anything? People name their children so that they don't have to call them 'boy' or 'girl'. I think naming a Pokemon is just as natural as naming a person. Why do you ask?"

"I was wondering. A lot of people I know have named their Pokemon…"

"People like me?" she asked, nudging me with her shoulder. I absentmindedly put my arm around her.

"You're first on the list." And then, to my surprise as much as hers, I leaned in and kissed her. Andy responded nicely, putting her hand on the back of my head like she wasn't going to let me away.

We sat there for a while, leaned up against a rock on the beach; I forget which island. After a while, Richard and Hanna walked up to stand, watching us. But Andy and I remained oblivious –we were still tangled together. Richard and Hanna (apparently; Richard told me this later) smiled indulgently, exchanged a glance, then walked off.

Andy and did, eventual pull away from each other. We sat happily side by side until the sun set, saying nothing. But as it went down, I felt a strange urge to continue our earlier conversation.

"So, say I wanted to name my Pokemon…"

"Just tell them what their new names are. They all like you –I'm sure they'll listen."

"But…" well, frankly, I'm not that spontaneous or inventive: I didn't know where to start as far as coming up with names. I said so, and Andy wrapped her arms around my chest. Very helpful.

"Well, maybe I can help," she said. "Let's start with Venusaur."

I thought for a minute. "What about 'Venus'?" I asked, putting a dramatic emphasis on the name.

Andy giggled, but shook her head. "Venus was a female. A goddess. And I'm pretty sure that your Venusaur is a boy. But if you want to go with a deific name, there is another plant god you name your Pokemon after."

"Yeah?"

"Yeah: Saturn."

(-o-)

So we went on from there: Venusaur became Saturn; Lickilicki became Gusto (why not?); Jolteon, Bolt; Starme, Stella. I didn't bother naming Dugtrio because I don't use him in battle much anymore, and I was planning on trading Electabuzz to Richard later. As for Combusken… well, I doubt she would have liked being named very much, and she has a mean roundhouse kick.


	41. Chapter 40: Thunder and Steel, Pt I

**Chapter 40: Thunder and Steel, Part I**

The morning after I named my Pokemon, a rude awakening awaited me upon, well, my awakening.

"Now? But mom, I…"

It was Andy. She was pacing in the surf a few yards up the beach, her Pokenav held tersely to her ear. She was crying, and looked thoroughly distraught. What was happening?

"No, I can't just leave now. My friends… I don't care! I can't, mom. Listen, just a few more days, please. Please? I… ok, but… no, I can't…" she sighed in resignation. "Ok, fine. Goodbye."

She walked slowly back to her sleeping bag, which lay in the sand a few feet from mine, and fell onto it without a sound. She was crying quietly. I rolled over next to her and put my arms around her, murmuring, "What happened?"

"I have to be home by tomorrow. My family is leaving for Hoen the day after that. Oh Ian, I'm so sorry!" she was wailing by the end. I bit the inside of my cheek and hugged her tighter. Then, something else occurred to me, something almost as scary as loosing my newfound love.

When we met Andy and Hanna, the Pokemon League Tournament had been just one month away. Andy had said she was moving in about one month… had an entire month passed already? If so, it was the fasted-moving time of my life.

"Andy, what's the date today?" I felt really inconsiderate asking her this, but she was the only one I could find out from: Richard had our Pokenav and seemed to have wandered off somewhere with Hanna.

She sniffed and checked her 'nav. "Wednesday, July 23rd."

I counted quickly in my head. The Tournament was on Friday, the 25th.

I almost yelped in surprise.

(-o-)

Richard and Hanna returned a little while later. They had gone into a nearby town to get breakfast, but we were low on cash. If we had had more time, we could have found some trainers to fight, to win more money, but we didn't. Two days! And we still had one more badge to win…

I told Richard about our situation at once, but he didn't seem at all concerned.

"We've been in tighter scrapes, haven't we Ian?"

Hanna giggled, but I remained silent. Andy sat snuffling on the beach behind me, and went back to her to try and comfort her.

I didn't think anything I could do would make her feel better.

"Hey Ian, there's something else I wanted to ask you about," Richard called from behind me. I sighed, hugged Andy, and turned back to face him. "Are you ready to hand over Electabuzz?"

I raised my eyebrows. "Not unless you've got something interesting to trade with."

"How about Onix?" Richard asked.

Hmm. Yet another intriguing proposition from my brash friend. Onix would, no doubt, be a great addition to my team, especially if I could get it to evolve into a Steelix… and I already had Bolt as my electric type, so… why not?

"Alright. Where do we trade?"

"We'll go into town after breakfast," he said, offering the bag of groceries to me. "There's a Pokemon Center with an official trading desk. And maybe after that," he smiled deviously, "we ought to head into Viridian. After all, we still have an Earth Badge to win."

(-o-)

Casey sat with her feet up on the control panels of her airship. It was hers now, in full. She had even renamed it. The _Galeforce_ was no more. Now, it was the _Sebastian_.

But as for her mission… she had searched the wilds of eastern Johto for Rook, even venturing into a few cities. There had been a few leads, murmurs in back-alleys and on wharfs, but all had been dead ends. Plenty of people had seen Rook's disfigured face, in bars, forests, and on lonely roads, but no one had known who he was or where he was going. It was extremely frustrating.

The closest she had gotten to Rook was once, in Azalea Town. Casey had remembered that Ian's brother was buried there, and since Matt had died trying to ensure her safety she felt obliged to visit it. She bought a few pink flowers from a stand at the town's market and made her way to only cemetery in the area. It took her most of the afternoon to locate the grave, and when she did, there was, to her surprise, someone already standing before it.

The figure was wearing a white suit; his hair was long, black, and shiny, and fell over the collar of the suit. Casey could not see his face.

She approaches slowly, counting off in her head the people who it could be. An undertaker, unlikely. Some funeral home worker… impossible, because of the color of the suit. Ian's father, also unlikely: he lived in Foretree, in Hoen. So who could it be?

Casey stepped on a twig, which snapped easily. The figure looked over at the noise. What she could see of his face and neck were covered in violent, blotchy burns. They were red and irritated from recent exposure to the sun and wind; Casey knew that they had been contained behind a metal mask for a long time, and were not yet used to the weather. The man had one eye, and it was amber.

Rook's eye widened as he recognized her, but he made not move to attack her or, immediately, to run. After a moment of locket vision, Rook turned and, without looking back, walked away into an apricorn grove that grew to the south of the cemetery.

Casey waited, surprised. Her shock did not break until Rook had disappeared into the trees, and Casey slapped herself, realizing that she had just let her best chance at ending Rook's life slip away. Chastising herself inwardly, she threw the flowers onto Matt's grave and bolted after Rook.

She barreled into the woods, crashing through the branches and dislodging baskets of hard apricorns. She forced her way through the foliage, screaming at Rook and herself in a blind rage. Casey made her way into a clearing in the grove, but knew by then that she would find nothing. Rook was already long gone. There was no sign of him in the woods, or if there was, she would never find it.

Casey knew that Rook was already gone.

Since that day, she had only taken the _Sebastian _out of the upper atmosphere twice, for supplies. Casey meditated in the thin air, mentally sorting out her life. She consoled herself for the loss of her parents her grandfather… Rook had taken any hope of a normal life from her, but he had done something else as well: by thrusting her into a dangerous, unpredictable, uncomfortable life, he had led her to Ian, though he never meant to.

She spent at least a week sitting in the chair, just as she did now, asking herself, her Pokemon, and her airship what she should do. And the she knew who she had to talk to, who could help her, who would know what she should do.

Ian.

The only good thing in her life that had ever wanted to stay with her, that had ever _been able_ to stay with her.

And suddenly, Casey knew what was important to her. The past was done, and killing Rook would not change anything that had happened in her life. Maybe she didn't want to change her past, even if she could: had it really been that bad? She had lots of problems, but she realized that _so did everyone else_. She was not alone in the world; she would never, ever feel alone again.

Casey jumped up from her chair, grabbed the wheel of the ship and took control. She quickly plotted a course for Viridian City; it would be a start, if nothing else, for even if Ian and Richard had already gotten their badges there, she needed to get hers as well.

Casey was not one to be left out of a fight as important as the Pokemon League Tournament.

(-o-)

Ping.

Electabuzz's pokeball fit snuggly into its cup on the trader's desk. It chimed to let us know that it was ready. Richard did the same with Onix's ball and received a similar response.

"Are you ready?" asked the red-haired nurse who was running the desk.

I nodded.

"Yes," said Richard.

The nurse yawned, obviously not as excited as we were at the transfer taking place. She pressed a switch under the desk and the pokeballs rattled: their contents were being exchanged. There were a few moments of silence, then, finally, another pair of chimes.

Richard and I each selected our respective ball (don't laugh!) and thanked the nurse before running outside to inspect our gifts.

My spirits were lifted momentarily by that timeless ecstasy that comes with receiving a new Pokemon. I dashed out into the sand and hurled my pokeball into the air. There was a flash of red…

The sand in front of me burst upward with the landing impact of my new Pokemon. I shielded my eyes and coughed, then waited for the dust to clear, but to my surprise, it was not an Onix that awaited my gaze. I guess I should have known: I had forgotten that trading causes some types of Pokemon to evolve.

Sprawled before me was the shining metal form of a massive Steelix. Maybe this is just me, but it seemed to be larger than any other Steelix I'd seen before. Pretty big specimen. There was no sign of the blue crystal that marked its pre-evolutionary form, but when it lowered its head to inspect me objectively, I noticed that eyes were a beautiful, luminescent crystal blue.

I shouted happily and called Richard and the girls to see, but they were busy gaping at something else. A few yards away from me stood Richard, and before him towered a twelve-foot tall Electivire, sparking with eagerness.

Sigh. Why does someone always have to steal my thunder?

(-o-)

Rook lifted his eyes to the sky. There was no sign of any Pokemon overhead. He turned back to the rocky beach below, where his Pokemon fought. He staged them in match after match against each other, watched them roar and claw and blast away. They all belonged to him now, but not all were ready for the grueling battles that lay before him.

Rook wanted to be ready.

He was not done with those meddling children. He suspected their destination, and thought he could intercept them, but even if he didn't, he would keep perusing them. For eternity, if he had to.

Rook knew he would someday fight Ian again, and when he did, this time, he would be ready.

(-o-)

That night, we sat around the campfire (Richard had been a bit overzealous in making it: earlier in the evening, he had ordered Electivire to use a Thunder attack to light it), enjoying what we knew would be our last night together. Andy huddled at my side, her arm wrapped through mine. Richard and Hanna teased each other loudly, opposite us.

"Ian," Andy said as the night wore on. "There's something I want you to do for me."

"I'm all ears," I said, kissing her gently.

"Listen, since I'm moving to the desert… well, I'm afraid of what'll happen to Calypsa." Her Vaporeon. I saw her point: a water Pokemon would be extremely uncomfortable in the desert, it might not even be able to survive. "I want you to take Calypsa. I was thinking maybe I could trade you for Bolt; she'll do much better in the arid climate."

Richard had given me Bolt as an Eevee, as I'm sure you remember. But what could I do? Andy had a valid point, and her Vaporeon was a powerful Pokemon. It made since, but… well, I only really had one option.

"For you, I'll do it."

She smiled and nestled against my chest. "Thanks, Ian. You're the best. You really are."

I could only smile and hug her back.

(-o-)

Leaving wasn't easy. None of us wanted to go, but we didn't have any choice. It was time to go our separate ways.

Hanna and Andy were up first, bags packed and ready to go. I kissed Andy for a long time; I didn't really know if I would ever see her again, or if I would feel the same way about her when I did, but I promised to visit as soon as I could nonetheless. Hanna, who already had all eight of her badges, promised to meet us on Seven Island, the day of the Tournament.

In the mean time, Richard and I had to hurry to Viridian to claim our final badges so we could actually fight in the tournament. I just hoped we had enough time…

"Andy," I said to her, just before we left. I couldn't think of anything else to say, after that. Feeling stupid, I turned to leave.

She grabbed the back of my arms.

"I had a great time, Ian, and I'll never forget you."

I smiled and turned around to face her. "I won't ever forget you either. I'll see you soon, I hope."

"Me too," she said, grabbing my hand. She kissed one more time, quickly, and then ran back to her friend. I could see the tears budding in the corners of her eyes. Hanna hugged her quickly, and the two climbed onto her Charizard's back.

Richard and I did the same, and with twin bursts of air and sand, we left the Orange Islands behind us. We went north, will all haste, toward Viridian. Hanna and Andy went west, taking the latter girl home. I bit my lip; I was crying, but I couldn't tell whether it was from the loss of Andy or just the wind…

"This has been tough on you," called Richard from ahead of me. I didn't look at him. "I'm sorry. I want you to know that I'm there for you, man, if you need help."

"Thanks," I said. "But it's ok: it's been a tough few months for us, but if life were easy, it wouldn't be any fun."

Richard laughed over the roar of passing air. "That's good. I'm gonna remember that."

"It's written on Matt's tombstone," I said after a while, only loud enough for me to hear it. Matt's grave… why did saying that make my spine tingle?


	42. Chapter 41: Another Unexpected Reunion

**Chapter 41: An Even More Unexpected Reunion**

It was late in the afternoon by the time Charizard roared into the skies over Viridian City. Richard whooped happily and his Pokemon loosed a jet of orange fire into the air. The city was still in the process of recovering from the shock of Rook's threat, but it seemed to be coming along well. We flew by the site of the Pokemon League building's ruins and saw that a brass plaque had been erected on the edge of the rubble. An excessive number of police riding flying Pokemon patrolled the sky, and one interviewed us as we passed into the city.

"We're just being cautious," he said. We didn't mention our roles in stopping the attack, but he let us through anyways. Richard and I are rather inconspicuous people.

Richard broke that innocuous air by dive-bombing toward the gym the instant we were past the policeman. Charizard pulled up inches from the ground and swooped to a stop. He pounded into the earth and let his passengers slide off before firing off another pulse of flame. He was ready to brawl.

"Let's go!" called Richard, motioning for his Pokemon to follow him toward the door. Charizard stomped along, looking as though he would break through the doors to get into the gym.

He didn't get the chance: the door opened before Richard reached it. Standing in the gap was a portly old woman, her face wrinkled by age and discomfort. She had a shock of white hair which was pulled into tight bun atop her head. Her hands were knotted and protruded on bony arms from her violet dress, which looked several decades out of date.

Agitha, the retired Elite Four member and current gym leader of Viridian.

"More challengers?" she croaked. I've only had one in the last two weeks! Everyone else got their badges ages ago. I suppose you two want matches?"

We nodded eagerly.

"Well that's too bad: I'm closing the gym as we speak." She produced a black key-card (out of place in her hand, as it contrasted her very un-modern attire) which she used to lock the door behind her. Agitha drew out a pair of aviator sunglasses and an old-fashioned leather flying hat and donned both. "Guess you boys will have to wait until next year."

"Wait!" yelped Richard. His eagerness was quickly turning to anger, then fear.

"You have to…" I started, then a thought occurred to me. "What if you just fight one of us? Just one battle, a quick one. Richard will fight you, he wants this a lot more than I do. Please, Madam Agitha? It would mean a lot to my friend."

There was a surprised silence. Agitha obviously hadn't been expecting anything like that from me. Richard seemed equally shocked: he knew I wanted to fight in the Tournament as much as he did, but _I_ would survive if I didn't fight. Richard would have been devastated.

Agitha looked between the two of us, considering my offer. I couldn't see her eyes because they were hidden behind her sunglasses, but I saw the creases in her faces soften slowly.

"If I gave you the option to fight me now, you would forfeit it to your friend?" she asked me.

"Yes," I said without hesitation. Richard's lip trembled slightly. He clapped me on the shoulder with his hand.

"You can't do this," he said. He was even more touched by this than I thought: his voice cracked as he spoke, and his face was flushed. But it was ok: he needed to fight more than I did.

"Take the fight," I told him.

"You know, I didn't say that I accepted your offer," chimed Agitha. Nonetheless, she sighed and took off her flight gear. "Alright, one match. Three on three. Get in there now, boy."

Richard grabbed me in a quick, awkward hug and called his Charizard after him. He held back his tears, and was now grinning determinedly. He wouldn't loose, I could tell. Agitha remained outside, staring at me curiously.

"You," she said after a moment, "are quite an interesting character."

"You can say that again," said a familiar voice from behind me. Oh… it couldn't be…I turned slowly.

Standing behind me, in the empty lot in front of the gym, was Casey. She hadn't cut her copper hair since I had last seen her, and it had grown down over her shoulders. She still wore her paperboy cap, but other than that, her attire was different than her typical clothing. She had on an ankle-length skirt and a long-sleeved white t-shirt. A grey hoodie was tied around the strap of her traveling rucksack. Thick sunglasses covered her eyes. Casey looked like she had lost a lot of weight –her clothing seemed to hang off her.

But her face was the same –pale and pretty and dotted with freckles. She was smiling wistfully. There was a pokeball in her hand.

I wasn't ready for this! Not the day after I lost Andy… I had finally gotten past Casey (or so I had thought, but honestly, seeing her brought back a flood of emotions, both good and bad). I thought I had found someone else… but here she was, crashing back into my life whether I liked it or not.

Typical Casey.

Still, I found it hard to move. I felt completely frozen. I had to wait for Casey to make the next move.

"Typical Ian," she remarked, more to me then Agitha. She took off her sunglasses, and I saw those familiar gray eyes again. They seemed… content. Then, had she found Rook and killed him? "Giving people what they want and the price of his own happiness. Why _do_ you do that, Ian?"

"Because I can take it," I said. "I've already been as unhappy as I ever will. It won't hurt me any more to take on a little more… weight. I am ok with not being happy all the time, that's why."

Casey seemed taken aback. I don't think she was expecting an answer like that. I thought I saw a tear gathering at the corner of her eye, but it might have just been the light. She quickly put her sunglasses back on.

"If it isn't the other last-minute champion," Agitha remarked. She was talking about Casey. So she had been here in the last few days (maybe _that_ day) to get her badge. If she had completed her mission, she had done so recently. "What are you doing back here, girl?"

Casey composed herself quickly, put her hands on her hips.

"I watched the little sacrifice Ian just made, and it touched my heart. So I will offer you a deal, Ian: I've decided that competing in the Pokemon League Tournament is not quite to my… taste. I will give you my Earth Badge… provided you can defeat me in a battle, here and now."

Casey was giving up her badge? When I met Casey, she was traveling from city to city by bullet train, trying to collect all of her badges in record time. I guess since that plan had been dashed immediately after she ran into us, she had lost her ambition. But that didn't seem like Casey. Then again, I didn't know what Casey_ really_ was like: she had abandoned me, after all, just when we were falling in love.

There had to be some other catch. Something else.

"And what if you win?" I asked cautiously.

"If I win," she glanced nervously at the ground, another very un-Casey gesture. "If I win, you forgive me for being such a stupid bitch and leaving you." She broke down then, and started crying quietly. Oh Casey…

"I'm sorry, Ian," she wailed between sobs. "I'm so, so sorry."

I couldn't stand seeing her like that… I had to do something.

"I accept," I said, trotting over to her. I stood, just a few inches from her, unsure of what I should do.

Casey seemed to be battening her emotions down, to prepare for the fight… I wasn't sure what would really happen if I won or lost, but I did know for sure: it would be an interesting match, and it was too late for me to back down.

"You kiddies play nice now." Agitha cackled and retreated into her gym, following Richard.

I glanced at the building, wishing him luck, then turned back to Casey.

(-o-)

I had already resolved not to use Saturn. I felt… sure I would win if I used him, and I was not sure that winning was the best thing. I knew that I needed to win in order to compete in the Tournament (which, despite my sacrifice earlier, I still really, really wanted to do) but I didn't want Casey to take my reluctance to lose as a sign that I didn't want to forgive her. I did, very much, want to, but I wasn't yet sure if I should, or even could.

I guessed I would just have to leave it fate and let the battle decide.


	43. Chapter 42: Things to COme

**Chapter 42: Things to Come**

We were to use the empty concrete lot in front of the gym as our battlefield. It had approximately the same dimensions as a regulation battlefield, but was about twice as large. It was a plain, empty arena, barren of any unique terrain. It sloped toward the center at a very shallow grain; there was a grate there, leading to a storm drain below.

"I'm not going easy on you," Casey warned. Her tears were gone. Her face was now hard, battle-ready. "I want to win. I need to win. I am going to win."

"Keep telling yourself that," I said with a chuckle.

I had already decided on my first Pokemon: I would use Calypsa. I had a feeling that, as Andy's Pokemon, she would trust me more than Steelix. I remembered Casey's team, and provided she didn't choose to use her Pikachu, Calypsa would have a fair chance of victory.

"Let's get started!"

Casey threw up the pokeball that she already held. Mine joined hers instantly, and with two twin flashes of red, our Pokemon appeared on opposite sides of the lot.

My Vaporeon barked happily and waved her tail in a delicate loop. Casey's Pokemon, a burly Ursaring (I guess her cute little Tediursa had evolved; gulp) considered it irritably.

Casey looked strangely at Calypsa; she had been expecting a Jolteon, not Eevee's water evolution.

"I have had my share of adventures since we last saw each other," I explained.

"You say that like I haven't."

"Well, maybe if you cared to explain…"

"You're just stalling!" she snapped with a smile. Damn. Bluff called. "Wimp. Not scared, are you? We'll start… now! Slash!"

In one graceless but effective motion, Ursaring bounded into the air and came down, hard enough to shake the concrete, in front of Calypsa. His razor-sharp claws rushed forward in a blur of brown, but my Pokemon was already clear; she leapt back, to safety, and Ursaring's arm slashed harmlessly through the air.

He was fast, faster than a Pokemon of his size should have been. I would have to watch out for that…

"Calypsa, use Water Pulse!"

A burst of high-pressure water (faster and stronger than any my Starme had ever produced) rushed forth and slammed into Ursaring's chest before he could move. The bear Pokemon was thrown to his back, and Calypsa was on him instantly.

"Bite!"

Calypsa opened her mouth, full of small, barb-like teeth, and went for the face… Ursaring's arm rose, blocking the attack. My pokemon's teeth sank into the arm, doing little damage, and Ursaring hurled her off with ease. Calypsa tumbled to the ground a few yards away. Ursaring slowly made his way back up to his feet.

"Give it another Slash!" ordered Casey.

Ursaring rumbled forward, raking at my Vaporeon with his big white claws. Calypsa ducked and dodged, leaping over and around the blows. I could see Casey was getting frustrated.

I started barrowing my strategy from Ryoku: dodge and stall until you opponent gets tired, then finish them off quickly. I just hoped that Calypsa could hold out longer than her opponent.

A Slash nicked her right foreleg, and with a yelp, Calypsa stumbled and knelt on the concrete. Ursaring smiled, showing his own massive set of fangs.

Ok, so that strategy failed… that didn't mean I was finished.

"End this, Ursaring: Hammer Arm!"

Faster than my eyes could follow, Ursaring's arm drew back, then surged down on defenseless Calypsa…

"Acid Armor," I yelped. Just in time: Vaporeons have the natural ability to melt into a liquid. Calypsa utilized this aforementioned ability, and not a moment to soon.

Ursaring's arm smashed through an airborne puddle and imbedded itself in the concrete. The Pokemon looked surprised, to say the least, and began jerking on its arm, trying in vain to retract it from the earth. But to no avail: the arm was stuck.

Calypsa rematerialized just in front of him with a slurping sound. She was smiling cattishly. Ursaring stopped struggling with his arm and swallowed. It was over for him.

"Aurora Beam!" I called (Andy gave me a list of her pokemon's moves before I left).

A swirling ray of multicolored light blossomed from the Vaporeon's mouth. It rolled over Ursaring's body, washing him in artic energies… Ursaring didn't last very long under the constant barrage of radiance. He crumpled, falling muzzle-first to the ground. Calypsa cried out, triumphant.

Casey sighed angrily and returned her Pokemon. My Pokemon returned to my side, and after I praised her by patting her head I recalled her as well.

"Do you want to forfeit now?" I asked, trying to sound playful. Casey ignored me and tossed down her next ball, summoning her Pikachu. It sparked excitedly and hopped toward the center of the field.

I considered my options: Steelix (whom I had affectionately named Fang) would have been very affective, except that she had not yet been in battle with me; Starme would be weak, and I had already resolved not to use Venusaur; I was saving Lickilicki for last; so that left me with only one choice, and I didn't like it…

"Go Combusken!"

The fire Pokemon appeared, sitting sulkily, on the concrete. Her back was turned to her opponent, and steam jetted from her beak in an annoyed manner.

"Another new one," remarked Casey. "You've been all over, haven't you?"

"This one used to belong to Matt."

There was a brief silence… Casey looked guiltily toward the ground. She looked like she wanted to say something, but didn't. Well, I wanted the battle done. No time to waste.

"Let's go Combusken, up and at 'em!" The only response was a bitter glare.

"Thunderbolt!"

Combusken eclipsed my view of Pikachu, but I saw the bolts of electricity rising over her head and ripping down toward her. Combusken snorted and stepped to the side. The attack hit the ground where she had sat, scorching it. Combusken now stood, arms akimbo, with her back once more to Pikachu. She was pouting vehemently.

Casey looked surprised, then acted again: "Quick Attack!"

Pikachu zigzagged toward my Pokemon, a yellow blur, only to be dodged again. Combusken jumped easily over the attack. I was starting to think that she might fight for me. Maybe now I could get an order in…

"Flamethrower, Combusken!" I called. She glanced after the retreating electrical Pokemon but made no move to stop it. Combusken chirped angrily and sat back down.

"Looks like this one might need a little more training," said Casey. A smiled was slowly spreading onto her face. "Let's go, Pikachu, this should be easy. Combusken's not going to fight back: give it everything you've got until something connects!"

The ensuing burst of sparks, discharges, and thunderbolts was actually a bit scary. Pikachu's attacks were bright enough to make me see spots; it was almost like the world went negative in color when he used them. It was inevitable: one had to hit my Pokemon eventually…

And she wasn't happy when it did.

At first, Combusken was able to dodge the blasts of lightning with minimum effort, but the volume of attacks was too great. Finally, after minutes of stalemate combat, a jagged bolt of electricity zapped Combusken in the leg. She lit up briefly, like a bursting light bulb. I imagined seeing her skeleton glow through her skin, like in a cartoon. My Pokemon dropped to the ground, twitching, sparking, and very pissed.

With an avian cry, Combusken leapt to her feet, fire spraying in gouts from her beak. Combusken opened up and unleashed a swarm of fireballs, like an Ember attack on steroids, which ricocheted violently off the concrete and flew everywhere, scorching buildings and setting the surrounding plants ablaze.

Casey cringed and covered her face, her Pikachu standing protectively in front of her. Luckily, none of the fireballs came too near her; I returned Combusken immediately, embarrassed, and told Casey that she'd won that round.

"That was a bit of a gyp," she said. "But I would have won anyways if you'd just given me another minute. Looks like we're tied. I guess we need one more match to decide."

She was starting to look a little scared… part of me was screaming that I should just give up and admit defeat now, but something held me back: Casey had always been a much stronger fighter than this, and I shouldn't have been able to win this easy (despite my throwing of Combusken's match, I knew that my Pokemon probably would have won, given a few more minutes of random fireball-shooting). Either she was holding back, or she had lost all of her talent while she was gone… but she wanted to win. Maybe something was holding her back, something _else_…

But there was no time to guess: she was summoning her final Pokemon.

She tossed the ball, and out came a fierce, slightly oversized Crockanaw. So, several of her Pokemon had grown up during her travels. Her old starter was looking well, robust and excitable as ever. Crockanaw gurgled happily and raised his arms in a long distance hug for me. I waved back; Casey smiled, somewhat embarrassed.

Now it was my turn: Gusto the Lickilicki stamped his way heavily into the arena. Actually, he wasn't much bigger than Crockanaw, and didn't seem to intimidate the water Pokemon very much. I guess Crockanaw remember his match with Gusto as a Lickitung, back when we first met Casey. None of us had been very impressed by Lickitung then, but my view of him had changed: Gusto was, doubtlessly, one of the strongest Pokemon in my arsenal. He also had more surprises up his sleeve (or throat, actually) than anyone else on my time. But I'll get to that soon enough…

"Let's get this started," I called, eager to be through. "Lick!"

Gusto's tongue shot out, expanding to over three times his body length. It was more than long enough to reach his foe.

Crockanaw growled and easily leapt over it, then rained down a Bubblebeam on my Pokemon. Gusto withdrew his tongue quickly and bounced back, trying to dodge the attack. It nicked his broad belly, doing a fair amount of damage, but it wasn't enough to slow him down.

"Gyro Ball, Gusto!"

With a metallic glint, Lickilicki began to rotate, shifting quickly into his ball form. He charged toward Crockanaw in a curve, a pink spinning like a top. Toward the end of his arc, Gusto increased his speed, hoping to catch his foe unprepared. No such luck: Crockanaw sidestepped quickly, then slapped Gusto past with his tail.

My Pokemon retreated, then doubled back, looping toward Crockanaw even faster.

"Bubblebeam again!" shouted Casey.

The attack would have done a lot of damage, had not Gusto been spinning so quickly: the bubbles bounced off in every direction with a series of metallic pings. Casey kept up the attack, though, hoping to ward off my Pokemon. This time, she was out of luck. Gusto kept coming, barely slowing down, deflecting the bubbles as he came. At the last second, Casey ordered her Pokemon to jump; the water Pokemon was in the air instantly, and over Gusto.

But I had had a feeling she would do this. I was ready for it.

"Lick!"

Still spinning, Gusto sprang out of his ball form and let loose his wild tongue. It swung with him, building speed and strength, then slammed quickly into Crockanaw's side. It sent him flying to the far side of the arena and sprawled him on his back. He did not move My Lickilicki crouched, tongue lolling slightly, waiting to see if Crockonaw would or could get up.

Unfortunately, Crockanaw still had some fire (or maybe water) left in him. He lurched to his feet, and stood, glaring at us. I noticed for the first time how big his teeth were: Casey's Pokemon could swallow me whole, easily, and probably take a good-sized chunk out of Gusto. We needed to finish the battle before he could use those teeth.

"I got the idea for this move from Ryoku Suzuki," I said. Instantly, Gusto knew what I was talking about and rose to his full height. Inside his stomach, energy began brewing, bubbling up into his throat. My pokemon's cheeks puffed out, like he was holding in a belch. "He had this Pikachu that could use Surf –it was incredible, and it took down Richard's Charizard easily. Anyways, it sort of inspired me…"

Gusto couldn't contain it any longer.

"Triple-Elemental Blast: stage one!"

Lickilicki's mouth burst open, unleashing a red-hot jet of fire. Shocked, Crockanaw stumbled back, barely avoiding the scorching attack.

"Over the last few weeks, I've been working on it, practicing it," I continued to explain. "I had a little help there, Richard and some other people we met taught me and Gusto what we needed to know. Stage two!"

This time, it was a burst of water. With a quick Ice Beam, Crockanaw froze the incoming attack and watched it shatter into tiny pieces. Not bad, but he wouldn't be able to defend from the attacks third and final stage. I could see that Casey had figured out what the next part of the technique would be… she knew she didn't have much time left.

"Finish this quick, Crock!" she barked, pointing at my Pokemon. "Use Crunch, fast!"

Crockanaw moved so quickly, it looked like he was flying. Casey sure new how to train her Pokemon: they were all so fast! Jaws wide, Crockanaw closed in… Gusto's cheeks filled with the energy for the last elemental attack…

"Stage three!"

Crockanaw's teeth scraped against my Pokemon's stomach, and Gusto's attack fired, not a second too late. A bolt of lightning burst from his mouth, slamming into Crockanaw. It sent him flying, sparkling like a firecracker. Casey's excited, frightened look devolved into sorrow, and her Pokemon returned.

"Alright," she said dejectedly.

Casey reached into her satchel and pulled out her badge case. In it where eight gleaming badges (I guess she had gone back to get the Volcano Badge from Blaine at some point in her travels), the last of which she selected. It was shaped like a tiny tree, or maybe a 2D piece of broccoli. She handed it to me.

She turned and started walking away.

I watched her go, totally stunned. That was it? Battle over, badge, and gone? But… I couldn't just let her go like that… well, she had gone in a much more violent fashion last time, but she had wanted to back then. Now… she had change. Casey was different. I think she was done chasing revenge. Maybe… maybe she'd found what she was looking for.

I'd like to think that I had found what I was looking for. I had found peace with my brother's death (mostly; I mean, I beat Rook, and that's what I set out to do, right), I had found a lifestyle as a trainer, and I had found love. But…

But was it love with Andy or Casey?

Regardless, I couldn't just let Casey walk off like that. I couldn't let her go, as a friend or… whatever she was to me. The possibility was too important: one way or another, she too important.

"Casey!" I called. She half-turned and looked sadly back at me, through the sunglasses she had put back on. "Where do you think you're going? I haven't forgiven you yet."

The rest could come later. The stories and the explanations and everything else we owed each other. She owed me. I owed her. Whatever.

It could happen later. Then, all Casey and I needed was to hug each other, collect a victorious Richard, and start toward the Tournament.

After all, we only had one day left and none of us would have missed it for the world.

It was a new destination. A new start. It felt like our adventure was beginning anew…


	44. Chapter 43: Time

**Chapter 43: Time**

The _Sebastian _ascended steadily, was quickly checked and passed by an airborne policeman, then angled south and puttered away, graceful as a cloud. Casey controlled it expertly: she must have had a lot of practice lately. I didn't realize at the time that the autopilot did most of the work. But that didn't matter, because we were on our way. We were going to make it to Seven Island in time, and I would finally get to compete in the Pokemon League Tournament!

I felt bad about stealing that opportunity from Casey, and told her so. She insisted that if she had really wanted to enter the Tournament, she wouldn't have risked her chance by fighting me. It was no longer important to her, that much was clear.

She insisted (as the _gracious_ host) that we tell our story –about what we had done since our parting- first. I was more than a little reluctant to do this, due to the sensitive nature of some of things that had happened in the islands, so I let Richard do most of the talking. Luckily (for him) he left out everything about me and Andy; it wasn't that I wanted to keep that a secret from Casey, I just wasn't sure how she would react to it right then. I needed a little more time to think about… everything really, before I could decide whether or not to tell Casey and what course of action to take thereafter.

I had time. It could wait. I huddled down in the navigator chair I had commandeered and listened.

When he had concluded with an exciting (and definitely exaggerated) account of his battle with Agatha, Richard passed the proverbial baton on to Casey.

Now for the good stuff.

Casey had turned her captain's chair around so that the panoramic windshield of the airship was at her back. The sky was so clear and bright that my eyes had to adjust in order to see Casey as anything more than a silhouette.

"Well, first… I'm really sorry I just ran of and left you… both of you. My head was fogged by anger and excitement and god knows what else, and leaved seemed like the only thing I could do."

"You blew up a flying fortress in your wake," stated Richard. "That was quite a flashy exit."

"Look, I just didn't want the Iris and the technology to fall into the hands of the Hermes. Everything on the Iris was built from or based my grandfather's design, and if the Storm could twist it to such vile purposes… well, who knows what the Hermes would have done with it?"

"But the Storm was an evil organization." This time, it was me. "And the Hermes isn't even an organization, per se: it's an anti organization. Plus, most of the tech they were able to take from the Iris –like the nanoid-controlled Pokemon- was stolen by Tori LeTour, the Champion of Sinnoh. Now _that's_ something to worry about."

"Ok, _anyways_," said Casey, taking back control of the conversation. "It was stupid, and a mistake, and I regret all of it, but at the time, it was what I thought was right.

"I flew down to the ruins of the Iris a day or so later. In the remains of the lens, I found the body of Rook's Salamance. I also found Rook's mask. There wasn't any physical evidence, but I had a feeling he'd fled west, into the forest. I traveled around Johto for a while, training and battle. But mostly, I was asking around for Rook. There were a few sightings of a man with a disturbingly deformed face, usually seen just walking around town, or trading Pokemon. There were a few reported sightings of him on a beach, with a variety of Pokemon fighting before him. He always went unmolested: know one ever recognized him as the man who held Viridian City captive and destroyed the Pokemon League.

"I saw him once, in a graveyard. Actually, Ian, it was at your brother's grave in Azalea Town. I was just in the area and thought I'd drop by since… well, because of all he did for me without me ever knowing it. Rook was at his grave."

What? What would Rook possibly be doing at my brother's grave, other than cursing it? I felt anger rise up in me, and moved to speak, but Casey cut me off calmly.

"He wasn't doing anything, just standing there. I think he might have been mourning, actually. Seeing him there… well, it made me think. I don't know why Rook was there and I don't care. The important thing is that I don't think he's ever going to bother us again. I think he's finished, broken… I think he was saying his last goodbye.

"And if Rook can put the past behind him, well, so can I. I don't need to seek revenge anymore, and I don't need to restore my grandfather's name. Even if he falls into infamy for the organization he started, I know the truth. I know he meant well. That's all that matters.

"And I realized something else: I know what's important know. This has been important, our whole adventure together. The three of us, that's what's important. And I promise, I won't ever abandon you guys again. I have your back from now on. If… if you'll let me, I'm sticking with you."

Richard looked between the two of us.

"I don't think I have the right to decide this," he said, standing slowly. "I'll leave to you two."

He walked silently from the room, in search of a place to relax.

Casey looked away from me. Her gray eyes studied the wall.

"I came back for you," she said quietly; I almost didn't hear her. "I mean, I like Richard. He's funny and cool. He's my friend. But… he's not the reason I came back. I thought about it a lot, Ian, and… I want to be with you. I think I need to be with you. You're the only person who's ever… who ever stayed with me. I love you for that."

I was silent. I had realized all of this (more or less) a long time ago, when I first started falling for Casey. In any case, it didn't surprise me. But there was still something wrong…

"I know," I said. Casey looked over at me, hopeful. "Casey, I want to believe you, but if everything you said was true… then why did you leave? How could you?"

"I don't know… I was being stupid, and I was all fired up and… I know you were only trying to help me when you smashed the lens and dropped Rook. You didn't want me to deal with the repercussions of murder, and I was mad and stupid. I thought you were just holding me back. I just… felt like I needed to go, you know?"

We looked eyes. Hers were shining with unborn tears.

"No, I don't," I said. Now it was I who looked way. More silence. After a moment, I heard a few gasped sobs. Without looked back, I pleaded, "Don't do that, Casey, please. Don't worry, I forgive you. It'll be ok. I'm still your friend, no matter what. I couldn't… I'm not going anywhere else."

The sobs subsided into sniffles. I couldn't stand to see Casey like that; I still didn't look. I waited, staring at the wall, waiting for her to calm down.

Something brushed my shoulder. I turned quickly, found my face level with Casey's. Her eyes were red and irritated. Her cheeks shown brightly. She leaned in closer, her eyes closing slowly, her lips creeping toward mine.

I panicked and stood up quickly, accidental knocking her back. Casey stumbled and crashed into the captain's chair, which spun and deposited her on the ground below the control panel. Casey's face was toward the wall, so I couldn't see her, but I could guess how she looked.

"Sorry, I didn't mean to…" I went to her side and hauled her to her feet. She didn't look at me, but instead, studiously went about righting the captain's chair and checking her instruments to make sure they had not been disturbed.

Embarrassed and torn, I made my way slowly toward the door. As I exited, I turned and called back to Casey, "I'm sorry Casey. I just… I don't know what to do. Please, give me some time. That's all I need."

Casey didn't look back at me. She made a tiny, whimpering noise and continued her inspection of the panel. I departed quickly, not wishing to cause any more trouble.


	45. Chapter 44: Airship Tailgating

AUTHOR'S NOTE:

sorry if the last chapter got a little too romance-oriented for some of you

back to the plotline!

not much more of that for a while, and the tournament is about to begin; the story nears its end

read on, and hope you all enjoy the end of SOS

* * *

**Chapter 44: Airship Tailgating**

When I woke the next morning, it was to a shaft of blinding light that was punching though my window. But hadn't I closed the blinds before I went to sleep?

Reluctantly, I squeezed my eyes open and peered out at the world.

Richard and I shared a room with a pair of bunks. He slept above me, snoring softly despite the light. The light… I rolled over so I was no longer facing the wall. Casey stood by the window, fastidiously fidgeting with the blinds.

"We've landed at Seven Island," she said. She didn't look at me as she spoke. "Breakfast in town. Meet me in the cockpit in twenty."

"Mm-hmm," I moaned, hauling myself out of bead.

Twenty minutes later, I was showered and dressed, standing ready at the airship's exit ramp. Casey was standing in front of me, dressed her usual black top and purple skirt, plus a new white sweatshirt that I hadn't seen before. She was carefully adjusting her cap and satchel, the strap of which displayed her pokeballs.

I greeted her quietly, but she seemed to have resolved to end contact between us until further notice. She did not answer. Maybe it was just her way of giving me time, I don't know. She remained silent.

Richard stumbled into the room behind us, yawning like a cat and pulling on his jeans. He was wearing a shirt that had probably once been quite nice (I guess he was trying to dress up for the opening ceremonies that night), but was so wrinkled that it now resembled a dishrag. I smiled indulgently as Casey lowered the exit ramp.

A variable parade was waiting for us outside.

A field of tents stretched across the beach north of Seven Island's lone town. Those who had no tents lay in sleeping bags and futons which were strewn across the sand like pastel sea lions. Cooking fires unleashed a variety of smells into the atmosphere, and laundry lines flapped between every pole and tree. Trainers from all over the world had gathered for the tournament, and you could see it in the clothing styles: kimonos and modern, fashionable gear from Johto and Kanto; adventurer's attire, desert khakis and jungle nylons, from Hoen; anoraks and fleeces from Sinnoh; there were even a few pieces of arcane, pyrite steam-tech from Orre. The vestments fluttered in the maritime breeze like national flags.

Dozens of Pokemon clotted the sky and sea and huddled around their trainer's camps. They represented as many regions as their trainers, though most had been caught and raised in Kanto.

Floating above the scene, in tribute to the event's purpose, were giant floats in the shape of a variety of Pokemon. A bloated, black-and white Snorlax picked its nose among the clouds; a swarm of linear Unknowns battled for space; a Goldeen bobbed gracefully, its gilded fins shining in the sun; I smiled as I noticed a powerful Venusaur, squatting on thin air.

The _Sebastian_ was moored at the top of a grassy knoll, alongside several other (more elegant) airships. One was painted a gaudy golden-orange and was emblazoned with a yellow lightning bolt shaped like an "S" on each side; I guessed its owner…

…But if Ryoku was hear, might Tori be also? I remembered how she had deserted the Hermes' hospitality in a swarm of possessed Pokemon. I hoped that whatever deviousness she was up to wouldn't find its way to the tournament.

The three of us strode down the beach, moving north toward the Battle tower; the Pokemon League Tournament was to be held there.

It was a fitting establishment: seven battlefields (each about four stories vertically) high, with an additional open-air arena on the roof. The Battle Tower emanated power, prestige. This was a place for great trainers to meet, and its status was only elevated by the fact that it was hosting the most celebrated event in the Pokemon world. The Tower rose from a rocky crag on an adjacent island just of Seven's northern shore.

Ferries and a menagerie of Pokemon transported people across the strait. We paid a little cash for passage on a big white barge. Bird Pokemon wheeled overhead, the wild and tame mingling senselessly. Perhaps families, long separated by capture, were reuniting. Oh, the stories they would exchange…

Speaking of families, I saw that I had one new video message awaiting me when I checked my mail at one of the PC kiosks in the Battle Tower's lobby. The sender's address was my own; the name read "B. Cartwright". It was from my father, and had been awaiting me for exactly one week.

I opened it, surprised.

The window expanded instantly, and there was his face. He resembled me or Matt (really, I guess, we resembled him) but his face was wider, creased and stretched by the years. There were laugh lines around his eyes and mouth, and frown lines on his forehead. He was an experienced guy. What was left of his receding hair was curly, curlier than mine, and brown. He wore glasses over his dark, wise eyes.

"Ian," his familiar voice said in greeting. "I trust that you and Richard are doing well. The Pokemon League opens one week from today, on Seven Island, right? Well, seeing as I hadn't seen you in a while, I was hoping I could come and watch your matches. I'm sure you've already gotten your badges, and I'm sure you do great in the competition, so I'll be down on the night of the opening ceremonies. If you could email me back telling me where to meet you, that would be great. If not, please meet me at the mainland ferry at 5:00 PM. Can't wait to see you guys!

"Oh, and one more thing: tell Richard to call his parents when you can. I think Ms. Davis is on the verge of committing murder to know what has become of her son. Quite distressed." He chuckled. "Well, I'll see you soon Ian. Love you, son. Goodbye."

I checked the clock on the wall. It was 9:00 AM, so we had a while before he got there. I told Richard and Casey what was going on. Casey just nodded silently, and Richard scratched the back of his head, embarrassed: I don't think he'd thought of his parents once in the last few months.

I had last talked to my dad just before going to the Orange Islands. I had told him about what went on in Viridian, but not about my involvement in it: I didn't want him to get too worried about it. After all, he had already lost Matt, and I didn't want him to have to worry about losing me too… already I could see the holes in this logic. If something did happen to me, which was still quite possible, he would in the dark and confused and mourning all over again. I felt… false. I had to tell him the truth, and soon.

About eight hours, to be exact.

(-o-)

It took us most of the rest of the morning to get registered. The lines were killer: I was just beginning to realize the scale of the competition. True, most of these trainers would be eliminated in the preliminaries, but still, it would be a many-tiered tournament. It would be days before it was done.

Once Richard and I had had our badges checked by an administrator and our names entered into the official database, we left the Tower to find lunch in town. Every establishment was literally bursting at the seams with trainers and their friends and families. Eventually, we had to give up on eating in a restaurant and bought some soba noodles from a street vendor.

Casey talked excitedly to Richard about the upcoming competition. She wouldn't speak to me when it wasn't necessary. But the worst thing about it was that she didn't seem to be ignoring me: she still conversed when she had to. It was as though she no longer had anything meaningful to say to me. That was scarier than being disregarded.

But there was some fun to be had: there were dozens of simultaneous practice battles occurring simultaneously on the beach, each possessing its own set of rules and rewards. We participated for a while, and I was able to use Fang, my Steelix, for the first time. She was more obedient than Combusken by a long shot, which was both refreshing and frustrating.

By the time 5:00 drew near, we were all getting tired. We abandoned the makeshift battlefields and hung around the docks, near the mainland ferry's mooring point.

I could see the ferry that no doubt bore my father across the seas approaching. Soon it would be there, and he would know the truth, and we would forgive each other go to the Battle Tower for an exciting evening. The sun began its descent. At sundown, the opening ceremonies would start.

But until then, we waited.


	46. Chapter 45: New Flame

**Chapter 45: New Flame**

"Ian!" my father called. I had turned my back to the pier, awaiting the docking of the ferry; I guess time had slipped away from me, because it had moored sooner then I had judged.

I turned and there he was, strolling down the crowded gangplank toward us.

For some reason, the most of my family seemed to have a penchant for wearing red. Matt wore it almost constantly, as did my father… my mother though, (what I remember of her, she left when I was young) in mind, was always wearing blue, black. It was strange. Anyways, I was the oddball: most of my shirts were green and white. I mention all of this because my father was dressed in a burgundy dress shirt, with a yellow tie underneath a black sports coat that also seemed to be tinted with red. An old-fashioned suitcase hung loosely in his hand. He was beaming.

He made his way through the tumult, though he wasn't pushing his way through: the crowd seemed to ease aside for my father at the raise of a hand. I smiled and went to great him.

We exchanged a long hug, Richard and Casey staring on from behind.

After the embrace, he drew me back and looked me in the face. He said with a chuckle, "You've finally picked up some color, my boy! And you've gotten taller!"

I hadn't noticed until he mentioned it, but my dad was right: I was looking him in the eye without looking up, something I hadn't been able to do before. He released my shoulders and stepped back; we adjusted our glasses in an identical manner.

"Richard," he said, offering his hand to my friend. They shook quietly, and Richard smiled. "I trust you've gotten around to calling your parents?"

I could imagine the sweatdrops manifesting on the back of Richard's head, which he scratched embarrassedly.

"I'll get to it."

My dad laughed.

"I'm sure you will." He turned his attention to Casey. "Ma'am, I don't think we've met. I'm Ian's father, Brendan Cartright."

"Hi, I'm Casey… Ryne. Friends with Richard and Ian."

They shook hands, and my dad turned and winked at me rather obviously. Casey turned away and snickered.

"Well, I've booked us some rooms at a local hotel so the boys can move out of their tents… I suppose you could squeeze in too, if you like, Ms. Ryne."

"Casey," she corrected with a little smile. My dad smiled back.

"Um… well, we haven't been sleeping in tents," I said. "So to speak. And we already have a place to stay…"

My dad raised an eyebrow. "You kids haven't been sharing tents with Casey, have you? Because I'm all for coed traveling companions, but there are certain things that shouldn't get into at your…"

"No, dad, not like that!" I barked. Casey and Richard were both starting to laugh. "No, Casey has an airship. We were all bunking there…"

"Airship?" he asked, surprised. "Very nice." He turned back to me. "Well, if your privileged friend is alright with you staying on her ship, then it's fine with me. You're all welcome to… hang out or whatever at the hotel, though."

We started back into town, Richard and my father chatting and laughing about Mrs. Davis, with me following a little way behind. Casey fell into step behind me; her aloofness toward me seemed to be dying down… slowly.

"So, your dad is fine with you traveling with a girl the same age?"

"I know, I was surprised too." I said, then ventured playfully. "Especially a girl as pretty as you."

Casey went silent. Oops. Way to make it awkward, Ian. Damn it.

Trying to break the hex, I continued speaking. "But now that I think about it, I remember him saying he met my mom while he was traveling as a trainer. I think that as long he's in my general vicinity, he won't be too concerned about you… and in case you didn't notice, I'm not exactly a womanizer or anything…"

"He used to be a trainer?" she asked. "He doesn't look like one."

"Yeah, he was more of a coordinator. Apparently, he was a really good battler too, but he never liked making Pokemon fight. My mom, though, apparently she was something. I think the reason she…"

Just for the books here, I don't feel particularly uncomfortable talking about my mother. True, she left my family when I was just three, and none of us had heard a peep from her since, but if she chose not to have any part in our lives then it was her own loss. I wasn't bitter. It didn't matter, and I was happy just having me dad and… well, back when we had Matt, I was glad to have him too.

Anyways…

"I think the reasons she left him was because he lost all of his ambition, his will to compete in any way, after they got married –it only lasted long enough for me and Matt to be born."

"I'm sorry," said Casey sincerely.

"What do you have to be sorry for?" I said with a chuckle. "Both of your parents died: as far as I know, my mom's still alive. Somewhere."

I thought of how clichéd and ominous that sounded, and was vastly surprised to hear Casey's next question.

"What was her name?"

I scratched my cheek. "Well, my dad doesn't like me to say it, but…

Casey stared at me intently. We had almost stopped walking.

"…her name was May." Casey's jaw dropped in disbelief, but I shook my head. "No, no, not _that_ May." She was referring to May Sapphire, the famous trainer. The Color Hero. "No, my mother was just… May."

But Casey's unspoken suggestion tugged at me… could it be true? No, not really: anyone with any knowledge of the Heroes' legendary adventures knew that she would up marrying her companion, Ruby. And my father… well, I had seen pictures of Ruby. They were not the same man. Even so…

I shoveled the thoughts to the back of my head.

(-o-)

That night, the four of us sat around, talking with my dad. We shared as many funny or interesting stories as we had, and as much of our "adventures" as we dared. Richard and Casey left early: I had already told them both what I was planning, and they had decided to go ahead to the field around the Battle Tower, to wait for the Opening Ceremonies

After they departed, I sat alone, across from my dad, on the couch. He sat opposite me in a rolling desk-chair. He was digging a few obscure objects from his suitcase.

"I brought a few things for you," he said, sitting back up. "I thought they might be useful, especially if you decide to keep traveling through one of the other regions."

The first thing he handed me was a plain black belt, with a silver pokeball-belt-buckle. At first, it seemed rather unremarkable, then I realized what it was: the belt concealed six magnetic pokball-holders. Laughing and thanking him, I donned the belt. I arranged my Pokemon on it as my father procured his next gift.

"Well, I know you can't bring your computer with you: too big, and all that… but I thought you might like this." He drew out a sleek, red Pokedex. It was one of the new models, with a touch screen and built-in Pokenav. "I think it'll come in very handy, no matter where you find yourself."

"Thanks!" I said, scooping it up and devouring it with my eyes. "Now I won't have to share Richards…"

It was wonderful, more than I had hoped for (though I hadn't been expecting anything other than a congratulations from my father…), but there was still something I had to say…

"Dad, I…" he was already digging in his bag, searching for some other contribution. "I need to tell you something first. Just a second."

I gathered my thoughts. There was so much to say, and it wouldn't be easy. Worst of all, we didn't have much time: the Ceremonies started in a little less than an hour.

"What is it, Ian? Oh, God, I know: I thought I made it very clear what happens when you have unprotected sex…"

"What? Oh, no, no! nothing like that, dad. Listen… I wasn't entirely honest when I told you about what happened in Viridian City. We were in town that night, like I said, but… Casey and Richard and I teamed up with the gymleader Blaine and several members of an organization called the Hermes." He started to speak, but I cut him off. "Yes, the same Hermes that Matt worked for. When he died, he told me to keep a certain girl from the hands of his killer. Do you remember her name?"

He shook his head.

"Casey." He opened his mouth again, and again I cut him off. I didn't want to, but I was afraid that if I lost my momentum then, I would not be able to regain it. "Yes, it's the same Casey that's traveling with us. We met her a while back and I found out that she is the same Casey Matt was talking about. After that… well, Richard and I rescued her from the Storm's Eye and she stuck with us after that. It's a long story… but, I want you to know something. We, Casey and I, defeated Rook, the man who killed Matt. He's still alive, but I don't think he'll ever bother us again."

"So…" he was starting to shake a little. "You are the ones who… who saved Viridian City?" I nodded solemnly. "You went through all of that danger… you put yourself in harms way to… what were you intending to do, exactly, when you set out in this venture?"

"I wanted to avenge Matt's death," I said without hesitation. "I wanted to kill or defeat Rook and make him regret what he'd done, but I've realized that that wasn't what's important. In fact, I only realized it just now." This was completely true: I was laying off the lies for the moment. "I wanted to defeat him, I wanted to make him pay, but even though I did, I didn't save Matt, didn't bring him back to life. Nothing can… but in attempting this, I changed. I made friends who I can believe in and who believe in me completely. I became strong, dad, strong like I've never been before. I've seen things, I've experienced, I've fallen in love…

"That's what's important, not the revenge I thought. I have… I will have new things to fight for, now. I don't know what they are yet, but I'll find them, and I'll fight for them, because that's what we do as trainers: we chase down goals and fight as best we can to complete them."

My voice petered out. My dad was staring at me, and for the first time ever, I was seeing him cry. Before I could move, he had exploded from his chair, grabbed me up, and was embracing my. I patted his back; I could feel his ribs wrack with sobs.

"Just promise me," he whispered in my ear. "Promise me you won't die. I don't… I can't… just don't die."

"I'll try," I said back. First thing on my list, trust me. "But dad… I think it's all over now. You don't have to worry about me any more. I'm not going anywhere I can't come home from."

(-o-)

There was a nock on the door.

"Um…" said Casey from outside. "I don't mean to interrupt anything, but if we all want to get to the Battle Tower by the time the Ceremonies start, we had better leave now."

Casey stood in the hall, dabbling tears from her cheek. Richard held the elevator, down the hall, but Casey had stayed behind… she hadn't meant to eavesdrop (strictly speaking) but she had heard. She was both confused and touched, frightened and heartened by what Ian was saying… but she would have time for that later: now was the time for games, battles, fire! Her emotions would have to wait, for Ian's sake.

After all: he needed time, that was what he had said. But how much time? Casey waited in the hall, concealing her joint tears of sorrow and hope.

(-o-)

It was a pleasant scene that awaited us at the Tower Island. The Pokemon floats have been battened down; thy hung low over the sea like disgruntled clouds. Strings of balloons and glaring colored lights filled the air in their place. In front of the Tower's main doors, a podium had been erected, beneath an arch of metal scaffolding. Standing on the platform was the easily recognizable form of Ryoku Suzuki.

A crowd had gathered thickly around the base of the Tower. The four of us managed to work our way in a bit, but we were still close to the back and wound up being squished together. Somewhat embarrassed, I felt Casey's cool back pressed against her stomach. She didn't seem to notice.

I glanced up at the tower: it was lit splendidly, each floor a different color to represent the Sevii islands, which were ecstatic at their chance to sponsor the Pokemon League Tournament.

Just above Ryoku, resting atop the scaffold arch, was a wide bowl of orange metal of opaque purpose. Behind Ryoku where the Elite Four: Lorelei, Bruno, Koga, and Lance. They had maintained the positions (with the exception of Koga) for almost twenty years.

Gazing at the strange, orange bowl, I hardly noticed Ryoku beginning to speak.

"Trainers, men and women of Kanto and the Pokemon World, I welcome you gladly to the Seven Island Battle Tower, interim location of the Pokemon League." There was a raucous cheer from the crowd. "As you all know, the League has experienced a major and irreplaceable loss in the last month: our beautiful Center in Viridian City was recently destroyed in a heinous act of terrorism… but let us not dwell on the tragedies of the past, when instead we can look forward to the future: a new League Center along with a memorial to those who died along with the old one is currently in the design process. It may be two or three years before it is completed, five miles from the site of the old one in Viridian City, but in the mean time, we have the incredible facilities here at our use. That, at least, is something to be grateful for."

There were more cheers, and this time, we were able to join in. As we clapped and shifted in the throng, I noticed that my father was not the only one whose eyes were red and puffy: Casey looked as though she had been crying as well. I wondered what had happened and hugged her instinctively from the side. She returned my embrace warmly.

Ryoku continued

"It was tradition, in our previous stadium, to keep a pyre of sacred fire from the legendary Pokemon Moltres. This fire would be run through Kanto by a series of selected trainers in the weeks before the event. However, this ritual flame was destroyed along with the Center. In light of this, I have, through an acquaintance of mine, acquired a sample of Moltres' fire, so that we may create a new tradition, a new flame, that will light our way into the future!"

The crowd exploded at the news. And sure enough, Koga stepped up from behind Ryoku; a torch bearing a plume of orange fire shown from his hands. He handed it to the Champion and returned to his place.

"So, with no further adieu, let's these games begin!"

The platform below Ryoku's feet shook, and on rapid hydraulics, rose to the height of the scaffolding. The Champion reverently placed the torch in the orange bowl, and flames erupted forth at once, blossoming into a fat bush of flame.

I wanted to talk to Ryoku, to confirm my suspicions (that he had obtain the flame from the Hermes just before the birds were stolen by Tori) but I knew there was no way I could get to him I the crowd; hell, even I could get to him, he was probably watched by a group of protectors at all time, in light the Storm's Eye incident.

I thought of Wallace, killed by Rook. His country, my country, Hoen would be in need of a new Champion. The Hoen Tournament would occur exactly six months from that day (the Leagues had set up a system about a decade ago: the Johto and Kanto tournaments occurred on the same day, with Hoen's and Sinnoh's six months later; the idea apparently stemmed from the fact that the Johto and Kanto tournaments had once been one and the same, though Johto has since declared its sovereignty). The competition would no doubt be fierce with the title so easily obtainable… and Tori would definitely be there, power-hungry as she was.

I made a mental note that I wanted to go to Hoen, to investigate this matter further, but put it aside for a moment. It was hard to be brooding or thoughtful when thousands of psyched trainers are screaming in your ears.

I smiled and went along with it.

The walls of the Tower suddenly flickered, and the crowd gasped as it became aware of what was happening: the walls of the Battle Tower were, in fact, giant television screens. With a flicker, these screens illuminated themselves and displayed a bracket-style listing of the tournament's first round of competitors.

The Preliminary Rounds were the next day, in the fields that surrounded the Tower. My match was at 2:00 in the afternoon, at arena 6; Richard's was an hour later and three fields down. I caught his eyes as he glimpsed his match, and opponent. He glanced at me and smiled. It was what we had been waiting for: it was time.

And thus, the tournament began.


	47. Chapter 46: The Preliminaries

**Chapter 46: the Preliminaries **

My Starmie pirouetted left, narrowly dodging the green, chitin blade that burst toward it. With a burst of water, my Pokemon jetted into the air, away from its foe.

The Scyther screeched in anger and leapt after Stella, its wings blurred. It was fast: one of the fastest Pokemon I'd ever faced, but Stella was an old, trustworthy friend and I felt that it could handle it. Scyther's arms moved to fast to see, scoring the air with volley after volley of strikes. My Starmie managed to stay just above it, spiraling upward…

"Power Gem!" I shouted. A pulse of vermillion energy slammed into Scyther head on. The small crowd cheered; I could pick out the voices of Casey, Richard, and my father.

The bug Pokemon reeled back, teetered, but caught itself before it fell. The battle lulled momentarily, as my rival trainer stared at me; Starmie landed calmly on the sand, and Scyther watched it, panting. My opponent wore a black satin vest over his long-sleeved white shirt. His hair was long, in a pseudo-emo style; it looked as though he might have trouble seeing through it. He gritted his teeth, but managed a smile.

"Not gonna make easy for me, are you?" he called.

"No can do," I replied. "Sorry."

His Scyther was already attacking, but Stella pinwheeled to the side, narrowly dodging a Steel Wing. But it was a decoy: Scyther vanished in a blur, Double Team, and reappeared in front of Stella with an entourage of afterimages. A powerful Slash hit my Pokemon, right in its core.

Stella's light flashed painfully, and it burbled with discomfort. The Scyther whirled once more, attempting a combo, and my Starmie retreated, biding for time. A few short bursts of Swift stars kept Scyther back, but it was running out of ideas: despite my luck so far, I doubted that Stella could hold out against Scyther much longer without a decisive victory strategy… I needed a trump card or some sort, a way to break Scyther's speed.

Suddenly, I had an idea, but I would probably only get one chance to use it.

On my orders, Stella leapt to the edge of arena, which was really just a section of chalk-outlined gravel in the standard arena size on the beach east of the Battle Tower. The sea lapped at the rocks a few feet away.

Though my Starmie had never used the move Surf, I had a feeling that it understood the concept after seeing Casey's Crocanaw. I sure hoped so, anyways.

"Give a shot, Stella, Surf!"

The sea rippled and rose; a massive wave surged forth, broke at Stella's back, and carried my Pokemon across the arena. My Starmie's water-tail swept forth; I could tell that it couldn't quite control the wave, but I didn't need it too. I just needed the water to hold Scyther back for a few seconds…

The bug Pokemon's wings glittered and began to flap. It tried to leap into the air and fly to safety, but couldn't quite get high enough: the water encircled its ankles and yanked it down, into the water.

As the tide dissipated, Stella flew, gyrating upward; Scyther was huddled against the pebbles, completely drenched. Since Scythers use their wings (in part) to power their incredible speed, and had disabled those wings by soaking them, this Pokemon wasn't going anywhere.

"Finish it: Hydro Pump!"

The jet of water sent Scyther tumbling out of the ring. Game over. My opponent returned his Pokemon, chuckling.

"Too bad for you: that was my weakest Pokemon," he called.

"Bring it one, we can take it."

He laughed once more. He selected a pokeball, enlarged it, and tossed it to the field before him. "If you say so. Let's go, Pichu!"

The little, yellow lightning mouse landed near the center of the battlefield, its ball returning to its trainer with a chime. Pichu tugged at it's big, black ears adorably. I could hear the crowd crooning at its looks. But a Pichu? Seriously? Despite the type advantage, I was pretty confident that Stella could handle it…

"Begin!" called the official.

And Pichu was on us. Like a plush toy of a demon, it bounced playfully into the air. Its trainer cried out, "Megapunch!"

"Stella, get back!"

My Pokemon moved just fast enough. The sphere of shining power that had appeared around Pichu's tiny hand smashed into the gravelly ground. Rocks and vaporized brine sprayed everywhere, striking me and most of the crowd. There were shrieks, but it was not against the rules for the audience to get hit by leftover attacks; the match continued.

"Keep after it, now, Thunderbolt."

Pichu screwed up its face and began glowing. Sparkling tendrils of blue, white, and yellow struck Stella, rippling and cracking over its purple arms. My Pokemon was charred, but not fainted. I called it up from the ground and it began Recovering.

"Don't give it the chance, Pichu," my opponent called. A smile was slowly spreading across his face. He brushed back his hair with his hand. "Use our Quick-Punch combo!"

A combo attack? That was something I had never thought about. Sure, I used one attack quickly followed by another and the two usually complemented each other, but two attacks at once? I was reminded of Blaine's words, about using combos: if I could use one move to transport my Pokemon and another to deal damage, I would have a very affective combination…

I realized, seconds too late, that that was what my opponent was doing.

Pichu tore across the ground with quick attack, its right paw shining with energy. I could hear Casey and Richard screaming suggestions at me, but I couldn't understand what they were saying; even if I had, it was too late.

Pichu angled up, smashing into Stella just as it was rising to its feet. My Pokemon was thrown all the way into the sea by the force of the blown; regenerating would have been pointless, so I returned my Starmie.

My opponent shouted in victory and high-fived his big-headed partner. I could only use two more Pokemon… I had to choose wisely. Steelix would be rather useful, but I had left her pokeball back on Casey's airship; I had forgotten to attach it to my belt when I transferred my Pokemon to it that morning. I was saving Saturn, just in case I needed to use him later. So that left Combusken, Lickilicki, and Calypsa.

I think I made the obvious choice.

Lickilicki stomped into the arena like a sumo wrestler. His round core jiggled powerfully. His tasted the air; I guess he was gauging his opponent.

"Let's get this started," I said. "Use Gyro Ball, Gusto!"

My Pokemon obeyed, curling into his tight, pink ball form. He glinted in the foggy light. Gusto began to rotate, slowly at first, then quickly, sending up a spray of pebbles. Without warning, he shot off across the arena. The crowd shouted encouragement as he gathered speed. Pichu stood, unconcerned, in a corner; it tapped its cheek thoughtfully with a translucent claw-finger.

"Reversal," said my opponent.

Reversal? That was a move I hadn't heard of before. But if its affects were anything like its name, I had reason to be worried…

"Gusto, fall back!" I called, but it was too late. My Lickilicki was going too quickly to slow or turn away. He was on a crash course with Pichu, who was ready and waiting.

Pichu raised a paw, as if to ward off Gusto; Lickilicki kept coming. The pink ball connected with Pichu's forearm, and somehow, the electric Pokemon grabbed on to mine. Leaning back to counter Gusto's weight, Pichu pivoted on its heels, bending Lickilicki's momentum in a new direction.

Gusto was hurled, still spinning, into the sea. He sat, confused, in the surf, his tongue lolling. The salty water…

"Thunderbolt!" my opponent continued.

The lightning's strength was doubled by the fact that Gusto was sitting in a bath of brine. His eyes went wide as he lit up with power. The electricity coursed over my Pokemon, leaving weak, almost fainted…

"Come on, Gusto! Hang in there!"

"Quick Attack!"

A yellow blur came darting toward Gusto, hard to follow, harder to stop. My Lickilicki hauled himself to his feet; his tongue whipped out, lashing at Pichu's fast moving feet.

The electric mouse leapt to the side, leaping over the Slam attack, and landed, acute and ready. Gusto stumbled forward, his tongue still probing for his foe. Pichu stood, jumped forward, and grabbed onto its tip. Oh no.

"Finish it."

A few sparks later, Lickilicki lay on his back, gargling saltwater as he passed out. With a sigh, I returned him. He had fought well, but had to reluctantly admit: my opponent was lying when he said Scyther was his weakest Pokemon.

There was only one option as to who I would use next… I just had to hope that he would be enough to take down Pichu and whatever my foe's final fighter was.

"Go, Saturn!"

With ground-shaking force, my Venusaur landed on the beach. He roared and shook off the drops of percolated water that had already settled on his leaves. His orange flower moved in the breeze, as if groping for sunlight.

My opponent looked thoughtful as he stared down my Pokemon. Pichu was resting on his shoulder. The tiny Pokemon didn't seem intimidated by my much larger one. Saturn growled, ready to begin. The official let him.

"Quick-Punch combo, Pichu!"

Pichu leapt into the arena, legs pumping. Light began to emanate from its paw…

"Do you think we'll fall for that one again?" I called. Saturn grinned; a pair of thick vines extended from his back, reaching for Pichu. The electric mouse jumped, diving between the two vines… for a second, I thought it might have slipped through Saturn's defenses, but my Pokemon was one step ahead of me: his vines dug into the ground just behind Pichu and Saturn hauled himself forward, head first.

He slammed himself into Pichu, an awesome Skull Bash. The tiny Pokemon was thrown to the rocks. It twitched slightly. Physically, it was no match for Saturn, so as long I could take Pichu out before my opponent wizened up and tried an electrical attack, I would be fine.

Not so lucky.

Pichu struggled to its feet, sparks discharging from it reflexively.

"We just need one more, Pichu," my foe said; I hoped he wasn't right. "Let's go: Thunder!"

The sky rumbled ominously. From the overhead maritime fog, a huge tongue of lightning descended. Pichu absorbed it, holding the power in its uplifted arms. I could see it cringing, damaging itself with the force of the attack… it gave me an idea.

"Go!" shouted my opponent. Pichu let the charge go. A car-thick bolt of lightning careened through the air.

"Saturn, dig you vines in again!" I said as quickly as I could.

My Venusaur quickly sent out about six vines, digging each one as deep as it would go into the shore, like banyan roots. The Thunder attack struck, but did little damage to Saturn. The dangerous voltage was diverted harmlessly into the earth. Pichu, unaware of this, continued drawing power from the sky.

And damaging itself.

After a few painful seconds, Pichu stopped, ready to collapse.

"Razor Leaf!"

The sharp leaves descended on Pichu… the electric Pokemon vanished with a burst of red pokeball-light before they connected, and the attack bounced harmlessly off the rocks.

"I submit," said my opponent. "Pichu was my only hope at victory. Without her, I don't have a chance at winning. I guess I was right earlier: you sure didn't make that very easy."

I stared at him, confused. "You're quitting?"

"Throwing in the towel," he said, turning away from the arena. "Hey, who knows? Maybe next year."

I watched him go, oblivious to the League official naming me the victory. I barely noticed as he handed me the pass that granted me entrance to the Battle Tower. I only just absorbed him telling me that information on my next battle would appear on the Tower's wall-screens that night, and Casey, Richard, and my dad's congratulations.

Why had he quit?

He probably would have won, had he persisted… I guess some people are motivated by more than ambition. Whatever.

I turned back to my friends and enjoyed my victory, like a proper protagonist.


	48. Chapter 47: Battle Montage

**Author's notes:**

Book's almost done, and I hope everyone's enjoyed it so far.

To answer writersblock2000's question, I decided to give Ian's Pokemon nicknames for exactly the reason that Andy suggests: you would name a person or a pet, wouldn't you, instead of calling them by the name of their species? Why should a Pokemon be any different?

But if the names confuse anyone, I can just call the Pokemon by their species name. what do you think?

One more thing: if anyone has any questions or requests, please post them. I'll be glad to answer.

And last but not least, I was originally planning to write three stories, but not sure whether or not I should go through with that plan. If enough people want to read two more stories, I'll gladly write them. If not, I'll just write up a summary of what I had planned for the next two books. So I know: send me a review/PM telling me what you think (whichever you prefer); I need to know.

Thanks, and hope everyone enjoys.

Almost done.

**Chapter 46: Battle Montage**

Honestly, I began to loose track of the battles. One bled into the next, you know how it is. I had… four matches (3 on 3) total, the fifth being the most interesting. I'll give a synopsis of the first few fights, focusing on my Pokemon's parts in them.

Sound good? Good. Time to carry on.

(-o-)

My first battle is worth note, simply because it was the first time I had ever fought before an audience. It was more than a little nerve-wracking, I'll admit. Ok, so it was terrifying. I sat, shaking, on a padded bench in the corridors that ran beneath the arena, sixth floor, Casey and my dad attending to me quietly. They brought me bottled water, whispered encouragement.

A few minutes later, an official, dressed similarly to a TV producer (I think; he was wearing a white t-shirt, vest, backward baseball cap, and headset) told me it was time. Swallowing the last of my water, then swallowing again from the nervousness, I rose and faced the opposite wall.

With a mechanical hiss, a four-foot wide section of it opened as a door. Lights glared at me through the gap. Clenching my fists, I entered.

The room around me was high-ceilinged, metallic. It was like a technological cathedral: two of the walls were windows-turned-screens, displaying statistics on me and my opponent. The arena was plain, with no unique terrain. There was a shallow trench running around it, and it was in this trench that I now stood.

The crowd was mostly quiet; there were a few odd cheers, but no one was getting excited. This was the first match of the day. Things hadn't gotten interesting yet.

I ascended the stairs to a little railed-in circle, about five feet wide. There was Battle Tower technical manager waiting next to it, holding open a small gate that led into the sanctum. I nodded to him and entered. He closed the gate behind me.

The instant it was shut, the ground beneath by feet began to shake; I looked around, narrowly containing the urge to panic. I was standing on a podium, which was extending itself up from the ground. In seconds, I found myself overlooking the battlefield from a raised platform. My opponent, opposite, was doing the same.

The crowd began to murmur. It knew that something was about to happen. The room grew tense with apprehension.

"LADIES AND GENTLEMEN!" roared a voice from overhead. The stats on the wall-screens were replaced by a man's beaming face. He was wearing a bright orange jacket; his face was pinched (in an almost painful-looking manner) into a smile. A shock of white-blond hair blossomed from his head. "I WELCOME YOU ALL TO THE FIRST OFFICIAL BATTLE OF THE POKEMON LEAGUE CHALLENGE!"

The crowd screamed its approval. I glanced around, searching the first few rows of the crowd. My father and Casey sat just behind me, clapping and calling with the rest; Richard was one floor up, readying for his own battle, which began in half an hour.

"IN THE BLUE CORNER WE HAVE, HAILING FROM SAFFRON CITY, PETER TAKAI!" There was a brief pulse of praise from the stands. "AND IN THE RED CORNER, HERE ALL THE WAY FROM FORTREE CITY, HOEN, IS IAN CARTWRIGHT!"

I received a similar burst of laudation, enhanced by a few extra whistles from my two personal supporters.

"THE COMPETITORS HAVE ALREADY BEEN BRIEFED ON THE RULES OF COMBAT! IF THERE ARE NO FURTHER QUESTIONS, THEN LET THE OPENNING MATCH BEGIN!"

He drew out the last word lavishly. Oh yeah: it was time.

My opponent looked to be a little younger than me. He was dressed in a white tunic and pants, representing a dojo of some sort; I guessed what type of Pokemon he would be using.

I guessed correctly: his first partner was a Machamp, muscles bulging like melons beneath its purple-grey skin. It roared with the pleasure of the fight, flexing to cheers from the crowd. I sighed, inspected my own Pokemon.

"Go, Calypsa!" I cried, tossing down the pokeball. It bounced back to my hand, leaving behind the sleek, finned, aquamarine body of Andy's Vaporeon. She stretched cattily before giving her muscular opponent a dubious glance.

"ON MY GO," readied the announcer; his voice still hadn't lowered from its booming inflection. "READY? LET'S DO IT, PEOPLE!"

Calypsa bounded forward, halving the distance between her and Machamp. The fighting Pokemon tensed, ready for the little blue mass of sinew flying toward it.

Our initial attempt at a Quick Attack failed, as Calypsa was Countered back by her opponent. Machamp yelled and flexed in triumph, only by the blasted to its backside by a yet of water. After indignantly shaking itself dry, it sprang to its feet, but paused. The Pokemon eyed each other angrily.

Calypsa bounced forward, jumped up. Machamp groped the air, trying to catch her, but Calypsa easily slipped through by applying her Acid Armor. My Pokemon reformed overhead, leaving Machamp stunned in her wake. Ice Beam probably wasn't the best choice of move against a fighting Pokemon (or maybe it was, I don't know; I've never considered type advantages too important), but it did the trick. The moist coating from our previous attack froze nicely, trapping Machamp in a skin of ice.

"Finish it up with Tail Whip!"

Calypsa landed, barked happily, then jumped backward, fluked tail swinging. She knocked Machamp aside; its ice coat shattered on impact with the floor, depositing the fighting Pokemon on the ground. It struggled to get up, but to no avail.

The crowd roared, and Calypsa squealed happily with them before bounding to my shoulders.

(-o-)

My Venusaur pawed the ground in anticipation. He shook his leaves happily and bellowed at the stadium. My opponent (a longhaired guy wearing boots and a sleeveless shirt) scanned his belt, considering his options carefully. After a moment, smirking despite his previous loss against Saturn, he selected a ball and cast it to the battlefield.

A Meowth appeared, standing on its hind legs (though still slightly hunched over) in order to use its front paws as weapons. It wasn't very big. In fact, Saturn dwarfed it; he didn't seem too impressed by his feline opponent. The Meowth hissed, baring its small, sharp teeth. At the MC's call, the match continued.

The Meowth may have been small, but it sure was fast.

It vanished into a little tan blur and came careening across the field at my Pokemon. Saturn's vines extended and walloped at his foe, but they only managed to hammer on the metal floor.

The Meowth jumped over another Vine Whip, then, to overwhelming laudation from the crowd, landed on one of the thick vines and ran down it, straight for my Venusaur's vulnerable back. Saturn trumpeted in fear and began retracting his tendrils, but it was too late; Meowth scurried into the greenery on Venusaur's back and began Slashing away.

Saturn was obviously pained, and began trying to shake the little menace off. He began to wail desperately, and I thought quickly for an answer.

"Razor Leaf!" I shouted.

A shotgun of foliage erupted from Saturn's back, throwing the Meowth out. It landed, like cats always do, on its feet, only slightly damaged by the attack. It was near the trench that outlined the arena, eying my Pokemon.

"Shadow Ball!" ordered my opponent; I guess he wasn't letting up.

A ball of shimmering violet-black energy appeared between Meowth's paws. The Pokemon tossed it back and forth between its hands, like a cat playing with a call of yarn. I panicked, ordered a quick Bullet Seed attack.

Meowth saw it coming and lobbed the Shadow Ball toward my Pokemon before leaping out of the path of the oncoming Seeds. Saturn was preoccupied completing his attack, and only managed to partially move from the attack's path. The Shadow Ball stuck him in the rear, exploded with a puff of darkness. Saturn moaned as his left hind leg gave way; he slipped and fell, his moan escalating into a cry. Vines pulsed forth, digging into the floor, trying to hold up Saturn's body. He was weakening fast…

"Come on, Saturn," I murmured to myself. I needed a trump card, yet again. A way to end this quickly. Maybe Saturn could build enough energy for a Solar Beam… but by the time the attack charged, he would be fainted. Perhaps if he could send his vines through the floor… no, Meowth was too fast and would get around them. If Venusaur…

"Arial Ace!"

Meowth began running toward Saturn at its highest speed, becoming less and less visible. It pushed off the ground, became airborne, and vanished completely.

In a flash, Meowth reappeared behind my Pokemon. The crowd held its breath; everything was still… Saturn crumbled to the ground, knocked out.

Let this be a lesson: never over-strategize, because you might overlook the battle.

(-o-)

Finally, I'll include a battle by one of my newest Pokemon: Steelix.

(-o-)

The two Pokemon eyed each other across the arena. Pidgeot flapped slowly but powerfully, staying in more or less the same position in the air. Staring it down with eyes like blue crystal was Fang, my massive Steelix. Her slightly blue-tinted metal shown in the harsh lights of the arena. It was time.

"Air Slash!" called my opponent, a girl with short blonde hair, wearing a colorful kimono.

Pidgeot crowed happily and dove toward my Pokemon. Fang coiled back, ready to strike out, but she wouldn't get her chance: Pidgeot pulled up early, swinging her wings downward. Two arcs of solid air appeared in their wake, and sliced toward my Pokemon with a sound like rushing wind.

The air blades, struck Steelix on either side of the head, batting her down. They didn't do much damage, though, not as much as my opponent had hoped.

"Use Sand Storm, Fang."

My Pokemon rotated the steel links that made up her snake-like body; bursts of sand erupted from the gaps, twisting and surging together. The sand formed a whirling jet of sand and air that expanded, filling the arena with a maelstrom. Rushing dust tore around the arena, pulling Pidgeot from the sky. The bird Pokemon was thrashed against the ground, struggled to its feet, then took the sky again, uncertain about flying on the painful winds.

Fang followed up with an Iron Tail; the hardened appendage extended into Pidgeot's path, but despite the Sandstorm, our foe was able to evade it. Fang's tail lashed past, missing completely; Pidgeot had inexplicable slipped inside our defenses.

"Mirror Move!"

Pidgeot swerved down, its tail flashing, becoming metallic. The Iron Tail struck my Steelix in the head, knocking her back. The eddies of sand washed over her, doing no damage, but Steelix did not move.

I knew a move like that wasn't enough to finish off a Steelix; she was faking. I love it when my Pokemon take their own initiative, but some warning would have been nice.

"Dig, now!" I commanded.

Fang shook happily. Then, with her head spinning like a drill, Steelix burrowed away into the floor. I entertained a brief mental image of Fang reappearing from the ceiling on the floor below us, but I was sure that she would be careful enough to avoid this. She was waiting. Pidgeot circled overhead uncertainly.

"Wait for it," cautioned my foe to her Pokemon. "It can't hurt you as long as it's underground."

Slowly, the winds began to die away. The sand settled on the floor. And…

"Iron Tail!"

A steel spike the size of a truck jutted up suddenly from the ground, smashing into Pidgeot's chest, knocking it from the air.

Fang rushed up from under the floor, jaws wide. Pidgeot landed on its side, clawed its way up. It was slipping on the sand, but somehow managed to reclaim its feet; it used its wings as crutches. It wouldn't get into the air again in this match.

"We've only got one chance," said my opponent. No joke. I wasn't intending to let her take that chance… "Pidgeot, use Hyper Beam!"

Hyper Beam? Somehow, that seemed incongruous with the light-framed bird Pokemon standing before us. No matter… couldn't take that chance.

During the practice battles in the days prior, I had picked up a few interesting moves from my opponents. So I'm sure you'll understand if my Pokemon use moves here that they haven't before.

Pidgeot opened its mouth… um… beak; energy gathered from nowhere in its throat. In seconds, it would fire, tear through the air in the arena, and smash into my Pokemon…

"Dodge with Double Team," I said, trying to stay calm.

Fang (or, at least, Fang's image) split in three. The afterimages of her speed wavered slightly in the air, and Pidgeot hesitated. Which one was the real one? Unable to hold in the energy any longer, Pidgeot fired. The ray of gold shot through the centermost image. It dissolved like mist at the impact.

Finally, one image solidified, the other melted away. Fang had been the one on the left.

"Finish this, Fang!"

Roaring in agreement, my Pokemon arced her body high into the air, then came smashing down like a meteor on her foe. Needless to say, Pidgeot caused no further trouble.

(-o-)

Richard had his share of excitement as well.

…_A Blissey's lobbed Egg Bombs did nothing to stop the oncoming Rhyhorn's Take Down. The rock Pokemon had built up too much momentum for a few petty explosions to stop him. Blissey became desperate: the field was clouded with the smoke of explosions, but Rhyhorn charged on. He slammed into her, sent her flying…_

…_Grovyle leapt high, came down with a shattering Leaf Blade, only to be met head-on by Electivire's Thunderpunch. Sparks flew, whit hot, everywhere, and the Pokemon were obscured. Grovyle leapt back, away from the sparkling attack, only to be struck down by a blindingly-hot Charge Beam…_

…_fists flew faster than bullets, red gloves smacking into scaly orange flesh. A blast of heat sent Hitmonchan skipping, dodging back. The Pokemon moved like a boxer, weaving around Charizard's blows. The fire Pokemon took the air, pursued by a Sky Uppercut from Hitmonchan. Suddenly, Charizard dropped, connected with Hitmonchan on the way, and slammed powerfully into the ground, sending dust, heat, and metal plates flying… _

Very exciting. The evening after my match with Steelix, we waited under the sky, lit by fireworks. We had both made the final sixteen, and were ecstatic. Casey had almost completely overcome her obliviousness toward me, so when she tugged on my sleeve and pointed at the Tower's screens I knew that something else was wrong.

I glanced up.

I glanced at Casey.

She nodded.

I glanced back up.

UPCOMING MATCHES: TOMORROW AT 2:40 PM, IAN CARTWRIGHT VS. RICHARD DAVIS.

I looked at Richard, saw he had seen it too.

"We knew it was going to happen eventually," he said.

True, but that didn't make it any easier. Suddenly, the sky seemed very, very dark, and not just because the fireworks had stopped. I felt a sudden, impending sense of doom, and I felt it had to do with more than my match with Richard. Something else was happing, and soon.

(-o-)

Rook watched the League fights, and he learned. The boy's Pokemon, their movesets, their strengths and weaknesses. He considered his own team. They would be more than enough, when the time came. Now, it was just a matter of how long he could wait.

Rook was hungry. He didn't think it would be much longer.


	49. Chapter 48: Thunder and Steel, Pt II

**Chapter 48: Thunder and Steel Pt. II**

"So, no matter what happens, no hard feelings right?" Richard asked.

"Yeah," I said, knowing that _something_ would change, whether I won or loss. I didn't know what, only that it would. How could it not? And worst of all, there was no way to avoid it. We had to fight each other. "Of course."

Richard smiled and patted me on the back. The sun was nearing the center of the sky, which meant that we had about two and a half hours before our match began. The sky was quickly growing cloudy, which boded badly for our rooftop battles (all of the matches from the final sixteen on were played out on the massive, top-floor arena of the Battle Tower). The day's first four fights had already taken place. The fifth would be beginning shortly.

We were just going into a restaurant for lunch, all four of us. My dad and Casey were already inside, at the table. Richard joined them.

I waited just a little longer, staring at the darkening sky. A drop of rain fell, plinked against my glasses, and distorted my view. A storm was coming.

(-o-)

By the time we finished eating, rain was coming down in sheets. The wind howled mercilessly. We hurried back to the hotel, trying and failing to remain dry. When we stumbled into the lobby, an alert was playing over the public television at the front desk.

All matches were postponed until further notice, meaning until the rain stopped.

I sighed, glad to have the extra time off…

Of course, the mere thinking of that thought jinxed my hopes. Shortly after the sun fell, the clouds ceased their spitting. The pale moonlight could be seen peaking through the shroud.

The night was still young, and we were called to the arena.

Damn.

(-o-)

I squirmed, once more, in a waiting room, but this one was much plusher than any I had been in so far.

The seventh floor trainer's lounge was spread with luscious velvet couches, diverse buffets, and ice sculptures. Richard and I were not sitting together. We took to our own couches, not speaking. It wasn't that we were mad at each other. We were both just nervous, and uncertain. We would let the battle decide our fates. Seems like we've been doing that a lot lately.

"Nonono, you see, I have two friends in here! I have to get in to see them! You let me in yesterday, I don't care if this lounge is exclusive!"

I recognized the voice instantly: it was Casey.

Seconds later, the door to the lounge flew open and she stomped in. The two security guards that had been standing outside were shrunken against the wall, thoroughly intimidated. I couldn't help smiling.

Casey was dressed nicely in a white skirt and black vest. She wasn't wearing her usual cap, and her short copper hair was curled painstakingly. I hadn't seen her in about an hour, and was pleasantly surprised at the change. And she was carrying a purse. I don't think I'd ever seen her do that before.

She ran up to me, beaming, and gave me a warm hug. She drew back quickly and held up a finger.

"Don't stop me," she said, her face becoming briefly serious. She pecked me on the cheek before I could protest, then released me and opened up her purse. "I can't believe it! I'm so excited Ian, this is great for you guys. You both made it…"

She noticed my sullen expression.

"What's wrong?" she asked, shoulders drooping.

"I'm just… worried about this match."

"What, you don't think you can beat Richard?" She paused, realized what I was actually thinking. Casey gave me another quick hug. "Ian, listen, I am sure that this match won't change anything between you and Richard. You guys are best friends. I mean, I've never had a friend as close as you two are. I know my saying this doesn't help much, but it still needs to be said."

"No, it does help," I said, half-truthfully.

"Anyways," she continued, happily changing course. "I bought a new camera, a nice digital one, to take some pictures of the match. It's in here somewhere…" she rummaged further, but no avail. "Crap, I guess I left on the airship. I'll go grab it before the match starts. Your dad is saving seats in the front row. But I better go say hi to Richard. I'll see you after the battle, ok?"

I nodded, and she started to walk off. After a second, she turned back and called over her shoulder, "Ian, try no to worry too much, ok?"

I sighed with smile and waved her off.

(-o-)

Richard's and my podiums ascended. Spotlights glared from the four corners of the battlefield. The announcer's voice boomed resoundingly, introducing us. They didn't mention our shared hometown or rivalry. The Emcee did nothing to signify the feelings this battle would create between Richard and me.

But I guess it didn't matter. Richard and I would fight. One of us would win. Surely Casey was right: it wouldn't change us.

But if it did…

I mentally slapped myself, listened to the crowd roar. The seats rose in tiers from the square battlefield. I could just pick out my dad sitting in the front row, near the centerfield line; the seat beside him was empty. He caught my gaze and shrugged. He didn't know where Casey was either.

With a silent sigh, I selected my first Pokemon and readied the ball in my hand. I saw Richard do the same. He smiled cautiously and nodded at me.

"WITH NO FURTHER ADIEU, LET THE BATTLE BEGIN!"

Our Pokemon manifested on either side of the arena. Richard and I began to fight.

(-o-)

Casey stumbled aboard the _Sebastian_. The wind had ripper her carefully curled hair out of place, and she was soaked and out of breath. And she had gone through such trouble to look good. She scowled at herself as she attempted to preen her hair in the reflection of the airship's windshield.

The storm may have calmed down at the Battle Tower, but the airfields were still swept and racked by wind and rain. The airship mumbled to itself and swayed in its mooring.

Casey went to her room. She couldn't seem to find the light-switch, but there was enough light coming from the window for her to see the camera lying on her bed. It glinted in the reflected light of the Tower.

She started toward the bed, and tripped over something sprawled on the floor. Casey swore, then slid up to her knees and inspected what she had fallen over. It was her backpack, and it was open.

Leaping to her feet, Casey strained her eyes, scanning the floor. Her clothing was strewn everywhere, and with a sinking feeling, Casey knew what had been taken. She checked to make sure. And, right enough, the airship startup key was gone from it usual pouch near the top of her pack.

Casey turned, snatched the camera, then turned back toward the door…

Lightning flashed, followed by a brotherly boom of thunder. Its radiance was reflected in a single amber eye.

Some one was blocking the door.

There was a second burst of thunder and Casey screamed.

(-o-)

A dust cloud filled the heart of the battlefield. The crowd watched, holding its breath… a gyrating pink ball came flying out. To cheers from audience, Gusto smashed into the ground, unfolding as he did so and coming to halt. He stood, steadying himself with one arm, and watched the dust cloud dissipate.

A mass of blue-green tentacles surged out of the smoke. My Lickilicki's eyes widened, but it was too late for him to move. The Power Whip sent him into the air over the arena, and Tangela scrambled out of the dust in pursuit.

Gusto landed once more, this time on his back, and began to struggle up.

"Tri-Element Surprise!" I called, hoping that Gusto would last long enough to do it.

Just in time, Gusto popped up to his feet. A lashing vine struck where he had been lying seconds before.

Puffing out his cheeks, my Pokemon built up his first elemental attack. When practicing the attack, Gusto had never seemed to be able to get the order of moves right: they came out randomly each time, but one way or another, I was confident that the move could take Tangela down.

A Thunderbolt leapt from Gusto's mouth, hitting Tangela head on. The grass Pokemon shook with the force of the attack and leapt back in pain. Gusto pursued, leaping forward to slam Tangela with his belly. He skipped back to dodge a Wrapping vine, then released his second attack.

A jet of water was fired at Tangela, but this time it was ready. The little Pokemon fired vines to the side; they wrapped around a spotlight at the edge of the arena and pulled it to safety. The Hydro Pump washed by, already forgotten.

"Bullet Seed!" called Richard, desperate. He had seen me practice this attack. He knew what came next.

The seeds flew at Gusto, but in its eagerness, Tangela had aimed poorly. The missiles flew wide, exploded in the dust behind my approaching Pokemon.

"Finish it!" I yelled, excited. The final element was fire, and it would be a decisive trump if it connected. Gusto inhaled, gouts of flame rose through his throat…

There was a flash of white light from across the field. Shit. Tangela vanished in the glow of its body. It expanded, its vines twisted into arm, its feet narrowed out. The light receded, depositing a fully grown Tangrowth on the battlefield. The crowd absolutely exploded.

Gusto was on the verge of exploding too; he had been holding the attack in anticipation of Tangrowth completing its Evolution.

"Go Gusto, quick!"

"Tangrowth?" asked Richard, surprised.

A jet of red-orange fire burst across the arena. Tangrowth nodded to its master, then flexed its limber arms. A green radiance surrounded it.

Tangrowth hefted its arm upward, as if lifting a great weight. The floor exploded, and green-luminescent rocks came flying out. Ancient Power, I knew already. The ruins shielded Tangrowth from the flames. With another small motion, the grass Pokemon sent the glowing avalanche at my Pokemon.

Gusto was too surprised to move, and the boulders crashed over him in a second. I knew that he had lost. With a sigh, I returned him to his pokeball. I watched Richard, who was grinning excitedly. His new Pokemon lumbered up to him and hopped up and down happily. But the match wasn't over yet.

I still had two Pokemon. I selected quickly, knowing already which Pokemon I would choose, and tossed in my lot.

(-o-)

Back at the airfield, the storm had moved away, out to see. It was time.

Dark shapes moved in the still-rushing wind. The air was clean and free of dust, and the moon shown bright; still, the shapes stayed too low to be illuminated. The darted like living shadows, severing the mooring lines that tied the _Sebastian_ down. The instant all the lines were severed, the shapes fled aboard the aforementioned ship.

Without a sound, it took off, rose into the night. It circled over the sea for several minutes, as if uncertain of its destination. As if the pilot were remembering how everything worked.

Finally, the _Sebastian_'s black nose was turned toward the glaring pinnacle of the battle tower. It stood, looking almost exactly like a lit candle, to the north.

The black airship rose so high it seemed as though it might eclipse the moon…

(-o-)

"Get out of there, Stella!" I called, desperately.

Rotating quickly, my Starmie glided to the right, just enough that Fearow's Drill Peck missed by inches. The bird Pokemon twisted its long, ungainly neck and watched my Pokemon go; its red crest rippled in the night air.

Stella twisted through the air, riding the invisible air-currents made by the bird Pokemon's wings. Somehow, it wound up behind its avian foe.

"Turn and use Steel Wing!" ordered Richard.

Fearow halted mid flight and spun, so that its belly faced up and its wings were in range of Stella. The feathers suddenly glinted, metallic. The wings pulsed…

"Hydro Pump!"

A jet of water sent Fearow just out of range, and because it was upside down in the air, the bird Pokemon was unable to prevent itself from slamming into the ground.

Stella landed, a few feet away. It had handled Richard's Tangrowth without too much trouble because Gusto had already weakened it. Now, Fearow was proving slightly more trouble. Stella's attacks seemed to have little effect, and Fearow could fly far out of my Pokemon's range.

It was going to be a tough match, but it wasn't over yet. My battle instincts were taking over, and for the moment, I had forgotten about any repercussions this battle might have on our friendship. After all, who knew there would be any? Adrenaline rushed through me… it was going to be close.

Fearow surged up with a single wing-flap. It was Richard's second oldest Pokemon, no doubt almost as strong as his Charizard. It put up a good fight, that's for sure.

"Glare!" Richard shouted, before I could counter. There was a flash of dark, multi-colored energy from Fearow's eyes, which I saw mirrored in Stella's gem. My Pokemon was paralyzed, just like that. Uh-oh. "Now, Drill Peck!"

Fearow's beak snapped shut and spun like a drill pit. With another single wing-stroke, the bird Pokemon flew to Stella, neck extended. The beak hit Stella's gem like a lance. My Starmie was sent fly, its paralyzed stillness broken, and slammed into the wall. It tumbled to the ground, legs bending, gem glowing and chiming in pain.

"Finish it," said Richard. He seemed to be having an energy rush similar to my own. "Fly!"

Fearow rose, spiraling quickly into the sky. It flew around the light posts, ascending into the dark sky. I followed it fearfully. The stars were beginning to come out, I noticed. A clean, salt-scented wind rolled through the upper floor of the Tower.

I glanced over at the seats and noticed that Casey still hadn't shown up. Perhaps they Tower workers wouldn't let her in because the match had already started. Maybe she got lost. I didn't know what else could have happened…

Fearow passed in front of the moon. The audience cheered at the sight of its silhouette. Without passing out of the moon's beautiful circle, it angled toward the ground and dove.

Stella was still struggling up from the wall. It didn't look like it would get up in time, and even if it did, Fearow would be able to redirect its attack so that it would still connect. We only had one chance.

"Come on Stella, please!"

"You might as well give up now, Ian," said Richard calmly. "I don't want to hurt your Pokemon."

"Funny," I shot back. "I was about to say the same thing."

Stella struggled up, managed to balance on three or four of its legs. Fearow was still careening downward. I had to time this just right, so that the bird Pokemon wouldn't have time to move…

Fearow dove past the lip of the arena. It was closing in, a blur of tan and red.

"Light Screen!" I called. Stella's gemstone gave a half-hearted pulse of light. A cluster of hexagonal, transparent panels appeared in the air between it and Fearow. The bird Pokemon squawked in fear; it could not turn, it was going too fast.

It crashed, headlong, into the Light Screens. There was horrible cracking noise. It resounded throughout the arena. Everyone was silent.

But in the end, momentum won. The shields shattered, and Fearow tumbled through, crashing with considerable force into Stella. The two Pokemon tumbled across the ground, brown wings entangled with purple star-legs. I caught the glimmer of my Starmie's gem.

The Pokemon wound up, a few away from each other, sprawled on the ground. They were both fainted. The crowd held its breath.

The official nodded at both of us: a tie.

So it was all up to our last Pokemon. I watched Richard carefully.

We had agreed before the match not to use our starters. We thought that the fight would be too equal if we did; Charizard and Venusaur would never stop fighting each other, they were as strong rivals as Richard and I. But I thought I knew which Pokemon Richard would use instead.

"Go, Fang!" I called. My Steelix appeared, towering, on my side of the arena. I watched.

I was right.

"Go, Electivire!"

Thunder and Steel faced each other like warlords. This was going to be quite a fight.

Without another word, Fang drove forward, her head slamming into Eletivire like a train. The electric Pokemon was thrown massively back; it skidded across the ground and smashed into the wall. The Battle Tower shook.

"Get up!" barked Richard. Electivire did so at once. It looked angry. "Now, use thunder!"

Lifting its hooked fingers to the sky, my opponent called down a massive bolt of electricity. The charge filled it, turning it blindingly bright. Mumbling clouds began to gather overhead as a result of the attack.

A thunderbolt arced between the two Pokemon, zapping the steel parts of my Steelix. Luckily, the attack didn't do much damage because of her stony core.

"Thunderpunch!" pursued Richard, still excited.

"Double Team, Fang!" I countered. The steel Pokemon vanished in a burst of after-images. She rushed to the side, and Electivire's attack hit where she had been, dispersing an intangible copy. "Now, Crunch!"

Fang flew forward, jaws wide. Her tombstone teeth descended on Electivire, but Richard's Pokemon was ready. And strong.

It grabbed Fang's upper and lower jaws in its thick yellow arms and brought the attack to a shuddering halt. For a second, all was still. At first I didn't even realize that the Pokemon were still attacking each other, then I saw Electivire's arms shaking and heard the metallic creak of Fang's jaws.

With a catastrophic snap, the two Pokemon flew apart from each other, their pent up energies unleashed. Both landed, sprawled, on their respective sides of the arena. They were both slowly getting up: this could be our chance.

"Quick, Fang: use Earthquake!"

Shaking her head quickly, my Pokemon flexed her tail, slapped it against the ground. A visible shockwave rocketed away from her, shattering the ground.

I was glad the Tower was designed to take such damage. Most buildings would have collapsed at an attack right like that.

"Do the same, Electivire!"

Electivires can use Earthquake? Go figure. It's a weird world. I guess Richard had picked up the move in one of his earlier matches. His Pokemon let loose an identical shockwave… the two quakes were on a collision course.

The met in the middle with enough force to the make the arena shake violently. There were screams from the crowd. At the center of the arena, a line of metal and stone heaved itself up. The floor exploded, split in two.

That was massive.

I guess we needed to be more careful.

"Iron Head!" I commanded.

"Thunderpunch!" Richard called, as if replying to me.

Our Pokemon met in the middle, over the newly-formed divide. Electivire caught Fang's massive, metal head and was struggling to reverse the attack. Metal shown. Electricity snapped through the air. It was going to be a close one…

"_Good evening, ladies and gentlemen of the Pokemon League,_" crooned a voice from the sky. Oh no. I knew that voice, without a shadow of a doubt. I would never forget it, and I had hoped to never hear it again!

"_I hope I am not interrupting anything_," said John rook from… somewhere. The voice seemed to be echoing, mechanically, from the sky around the moon. The crowd looked around, confused. Possible afraid. No one had started screaming yet. "_Unfortunately, I have not come to speak to all of you on this occasion: I had a brief stint in public speaking, which ended rather badly. I have a pressing need to speak to one of the current combatants. A Mr. Ian Cartwright? Why, that's him there. _

"_Hello Ian. I do rather need to confer with you on a few subjects, but first, there is someone here who is just _dying _to speak with you. Here, I'll put her on the line._"

With an electronic flash, the giant monitor that had previously displayed battle stats and shots of the match went black. Picture returned, seconds later, but it was a different picture entirely.

"_Ian?_" called Casey desperately. I could see her on the screen, cowering against a grey metal wall. There were bruises on her shoulders and her face was red and flushed. She had been crying. I noticed, to my horror, that her hands were tied with white zip-ties. Oh no, oh shit…

"_Ian, are you there?_"

"_He can see you, dear,_" murmured Rook deceptively. "_You can tell him whatever you like, he'll hear you._"

"_Ian,_" said Casey, with no more certainty than she had had before. "_Run_."

With that, the image on screen whirled. I suspected that it was being filmed from Casey's new digital camera. Somehow, Rook had managed it to the arena's video system… I suspected a Porygon was involved, since Rook had used one to control the hologram projector that was the Director back on the Iris.

When the image settled, it was on a poorly lit, hideously deformed face. It had one eye, and was mostly covered in blotchy, red, scared over burns. There was a terrible smile on Rook's blistered lips.

"_And there you have it. Now, Mr. Cartwright, to the matters between us._"

"Let her go, Rook!" I screamed at the sky. "She's done with you, she's moved on. We've moved on. Please, just let her go. Let this be over!"

There was a rasping chuckle from both overhead and from the arena's sound system.

"_It will never be over Ian,_" said Rook. "_Not until I, or you and everyone you know and love, is dead._"

There was total silence in the arena, then all hell broke loose.

There were people screaming, trying to flee the arena. The pandemonium shook the tower as the crowd tried to squeeze out, all at once, through the exits. Needless to say, it didn't work.

"_Now, now: let's have none of that._"

And suddenly, there it was. The _Sebastian_ appeared, like a finger poking through the blanket of night. It was a manifestation of the darkness… I knew that it would no longer be called the _Sebastian_, that it was once more the _Galeforce_, Rook's ship. I could hear the whine of its engines as it dropped from straight above. It positioned itself over the bole of the arena. Spotlights pinned its hull in the air, like mooring lines.

The view onscreen swung away from Rook's horrible face for a few moment, there was only oscillating darkness gunmetal stairs, steel walls.

The Jumbotron suddenly displayed the airship's cargo bay. Huddled in it, like frightened children, were about two dozen metal spheres, the size of curled up men. At the sound of Rook's approach, the spheres began to move. One by one, they split into two hemispheres and separated. Their interior were red, and had eyes. Big, round, ovular eyes. Foretress.

The camera swung one final time: this time, its view was of the hatch in the cargo bay's floor. Through it, the top of the Battle Tower could be seen. Rook was directly above the field.

"_As you see, trying to flee is futile. All of you will remain in your seats, or I will simply order these Foretress to explode. The flaming wreck of my airship will fall into the Tower, no doubt destroying it completely. So please, ladies and gentlemen, take your seats. And I do mean you, Mr. Suzuki."_

I could practically hear the smile on Rook's face.

"_After all, every great battle needs and audience. And we are going to have quite a match on our hands, ladies and gentlemen, I assure you. You see, Mr. Cartwright and I had a little bit of a disagreement a few weeks ago. He had an unfair advantage in our fight, you see, a deceptive little girl helped him in his fight. This time, he shall have no such help. If anyone interferes with our match in any way, I will press the detonator attached to my wrist and bring down the whole Tower. Once the match is over, I will leave you all unharmed and you will never hear from me again. But Ian, the loser, shall accompany me, as shall any of his present associates._

"_So Ian,_" he concluded. "_It is time we finished this. One last round. Winner takes all. Are you ready?"_

It had been over. We had moved on, finished. We were done, and the score was settled. But now… now I could see how it would be. It was horrible, and I was terrified. I knew that I was about to break my promise to my father, but there was no other choice. I had no option but to beat Rook, and somehow save Casey and move the potentially exploding airship out of harms way. It was all I could do.

It was what I had to do.

"Let's go, you bastard!" I screamed. He was right, it was time we finished this.


	50. Chapter 49: Seeing Things

**Chapter 49: Seeing Things  
**

Rook dropped from the sky, suspended just beneath the blue form of a new Pokemon in his arsenal: a Heracross. Two other Pokemon dropped with him, his old Azumarill and a glinting Lucario. The party landed in the center of the battlefield, and for a moment, no one moved.

The crowd was still, though I could hear a few people muttering. Who knew what about…

Rook looked around. Something like a smile congealed on his face. He was wearing a blue-black suit; his hair was long as ever; there was a thick red scarf around his neck.

"Let the games," he murmured, "begin!"

With an angry roar, Richard called out to his Pokemon, "Electivire, get him!"

The electric Pokemon leapt forward, mirroring his trainer's cry. Sparks flew from his arms as he clawed through air for Rook. The man turned, considered the charging Pokemon briefly, then nodded at it, dismissive. Rook's Lucario stepped forward, lifting his paws toward Electivire. The Force Palm took hold, and Electivire was thrown across the field like a rag doll. He slumped against the wall, and did not move.

"That Electivire… it looks somewhat familiar. Have I, perhaps, encountered it before?"

I didn't say anything, and neither did Richard. We were both sure that Electivire preferred his life as Richard's partner to that as Rook's weapon.

"No matter. Do not interfere again, young man, or your will soon find yourself an unidentifiable corpse. Are you ready, Ian?" he asked, turning to face me. "Of course you are. After all, a trainer must always be ready. Azumarill and I shall face off against your Steelix. The match starts… now."

"Iron Head, Fang! Go!" I called.

Fang's head gleamed impressively in the spotlights. With a roar, she lunged at the water Pokemon. Needless to say, it was a hopeless mismatch.

Azumarill skipped sideways, around the attack; Fang smashed into the ground. Rook's Pokemon released a blast of water that sent Fang reeling into the air. She roared in pain, and I could see the flecks of rust clinging to her cheek.

But Azumarill didn't let up, not even for a second: without a word from Rook, Azumarill bounded into the air, arms swinging together like a hammer. Before Fang could move, the Double Edge struck the top of her head. With another wail of pail, she was flung to the floor. Oh shit, oh shit, oh shit.

Sorry. That really doesn't do anyone any good…

Fang slowly began to wander upright, and Azumarill paused. It looked to its master questioningly. Rook nodded. _Continue_. Azumarill began a blur of blue, and then it was in the air again, leaping toward Fang.

"Double Team!" I barked.

Fang moved, just in time, and the second Double Edge missed. A line of afterimages appeared, leading away from the wall, back toward the center of the arena. Azumarill looked after them, hand to its mouth like a child. It seemed confused. Well, I can hope.

"Surround it, Fang!"

The air shimmered, and a ring of illusions appeared, circumnavigating the water Pokemon. It turned slowly, trying in vain to pick out the real one. Rook clicked his tongue, impressed, possibly annoyed.

"There," I barely heard him murmur. He nodded his deformed face.

I couldn't tell which Fang was the real one, but somehow, Rook could… and his Pokemon seemed to have picked up on it.

"Dragon Breath!" I called, before Rook could counter.

Instantly, abruptly, Fang solidified in front of Azumarill and loosed a jet of blue-green flame. Azumarill was blown back; it looked painful. Dragon Breath is gnarly stuff. I had an advantage now, and I couldn't let it go to waste.

"Crunch!" I hoped I didn't sound as desperate as I thought I did.

Fang lunged, mouth agape. Azumarill didn't try to run, instead it just… seemed to vanish into Fang's mouth. My Pokemon drew back, mouth closed, and surveyed her surroundings, surprised. Where did… oh no.

Rook laughed, horribly. You could hear his bent, misshapen lips in each guffaw. It was a painful laugh to hear.

"Superpower," he said, letting the word roll off his lips.

Inside of Fang's mouth, Azumarill released its Defense Curl. Its body began to glow; some light peeked out from between Fang's teeth. I knew that Fang was done.

There were two blows. The first opened my Steelix's jaws effortlessly. The second sent her into the ground, with enough force to shake the tower and faint Fang.

I returned her, fearfully. I only had two Pokemon left, Saturn and Calypsa, and judging from Rook's other companions, my Vaporeon wasn't going to be much use. Of course, there was Combusken, but she wasn't going to be of any use…

So there was only one option.

"Come on out, Saturn!" I called. I added, more quietly, "We've got one hell of a fight on our hands."

My Venusaur crashed to the arena floor. He surveyed his surroundings cautiously. Rook and his three Pokemon stared back.

"Ah, a familiar face at last," called Rook. "I remember this old toad. Put up quite a fight last time. Let's see what he can do today."

"Go, Saturn!" I called. My Pokemon heeded my call. Vines the size of bridge cables erupted from his back. They lashed, faster than I've ever seen a Vine Whip go, at Azumarill, but the water Pokemon always seemed to be one step ahead of us.

It leapt and pirouetted around the creepers. If Azumarill was a human, it would have been giggling with glee, like a kid skipping rope. After a moment, it bounded to the side, ran on all fours. Saturn pursued it with one vine… the other vanished into the ground.

Azumarill leapt playfully away, always just out of my Pokemon's reach. After a few seconds, it turned back, jumped high over Saturn's visible vines and inhaled, preparing to fire a massive Hydro Pump at Saturn.

Without warning, a vine grew at light-speed from the ground and knocked Azumarill out of the air. The vine rose, tearing itself free from the floor, and wrapped around Azumarill's middle.

I think Saturn must've recognized the Pokemon, recognized Rook, because he began to show some real anger. He smashed Azumarill into the ground repeatedly, like it was just a doll. He roared in anger. After a moment, my Venusaur retracted his vines, left Azumarill lying on the ground. It moved only slightly, it was trying to get back up.

"Solar Beam!" I called. Light from the overhead spotlights gathered in a brilliant ball over Saturn's flower. With a final cry, Saturn fired the Beam. Green and gold light filled the arena as the attack lanced into the Azumarill… when the glow faded, I knew it wouldn't give us any more trouble.

"That's right!" I screamed; there were a few cautious cheers from the crowd.

Rook only nodded, his smile slightly dampened. He didn't look particularly concerned.

"Heracross," he said. The bug Pokemon that stood behind him stomped forward, lowering its head. "Let us continue."

With a burst of air, Heracross flew forward low, an indigo shadow across the floor of the arena. A green nimbus appeared around its strangely shaped horn. Megahorn.

"Bullet Seed!" I ordered.

Saturn fired his wooden missiles at the oncoming Heracross. The bullets pinged off of its exoskeleton, exploding harmlessly. It kept charging. At the last possible second, when it was clear the Bullet Seeds were doing no good, Saturn hopped sideways, narrowly dodging the blow. Well, not quite: my Venusaur bellowed in pain as a ragged slash appeared on his left flank, where Heracross had passed.

The bug Pokemon flew up, looped back in a wide halo over the arena. Saturn created several surrogate legs from vines, to prop himself up. His rear left leg hung, nearly useless.

Heracross flipped acrobatically in the air, then charged down. Air spun and whistled of its hard body as it dove. The attack was fast. Way too fast to stop.

I realized that Saturn (and most of my other Pokemon) didn't have very many (or, in this case, any) defensive moves. So far, my strategy had been that the best defense was a good offense… that strategy didn't help against Heracross, which moved too quickly to be stopped from difficult directions.

"Vine Whip," I suggested, not too loudly.

More vines. They rose like charmed serpents, grasped quickly at the intangibly fast bug Pokemon. Heracross slipped easily through the vines. It was using Arial Ace, I should have known, and could not be stopped. It was vain to try.

The bug Pokemon collided with Saturn at high speed, but Saturn wasn't battered away like I'd expected. With a determined look on his wide face, the Venusaur pushed back. His neck strained with the force, but Heracross made no ground. With a final roar and shove, Saturn made Heracross retreat.

It was thrown back but landed, only slightly harmed, a few yards away.

Without another word, the two Pokemon began to circle each other. They eyed each other with anger and caution. Heracross did not notice the vines trailing from Saturn's back for support. They burrowed into the ground a few feet behind him, fairly inconspicuous. I had a feeling that they were there for more than support.

"You have not failed to impress," called Rook jovially. "You are doing quite well, Ian, but unfortunately for you, nothing lasts forever."

Heracross rushed forward. I honestly didn't even see it start the moment. Before I could begin to consider producing a thought, Heracross punched Saturn in the face. My Pokemon reeled back, but the blow was followed by three more strikes in rapid succession. By the end of the combination, Saturn was on his knees. Only his vines held him up…

Heracross wound back, building up its strength for the final blow.

The ground behind it exploded. A pair of vines lashed out, wrapped around the bug Pokemon's middle and ripped it back. Heracross was hurled to the ground. But Saturn wasn't finished quite yet.

There was a rushing, scraping sound, like a bungee cord shrinking back from a long stretch. Saturn's burrowing vines retreated, burst from the ground behind him, and snapped up into the air, their elasticity sending them flying.

"Still impressed?" I screamed at Rook. The vines fell, screaming through the air at the fallen form of Heracross.

(-o-)

"We have to act now!" Koga hissed.

"Impossible, I'm afraid," murmured Lance in answer. "I do not doubt Rook's ability to destroy the entire Tower. If we move to stop him, and he perceives it… well, we may be able to save ourselves, but there is no way any of the people trapped on this roof will survive."

"And if any of our civilians die," said Ryoku, grudgingly, "then we have failed as guardians of Kanto… yet again."

"But…" Koga looked around the arena. People were clustered around the sealed exits, just in case they should open again. Not that anyone was watching the doors: everyone's eyes were glued to the battle. The poison-master of the Elite Four glanced impotently at the airship overhead. Then, an idea struck him.

"Can we call for help? I have my Pokenav in my pocket, we could get word out…"

"Unfortunately," interjected Ryoku, "most every competent trainer on the island is here, in the Tower, many without their Pokemon. They came as spectators tonight. No one could have predicted this."

The champion pulled out his own Pokenav and opened it. He pressed a button on its touch-screen, bringing up a window that displayed his service connection stats. The charts made it clear: there was no calling or messaging service at the Tower.

"And even if there were someone we could call, something is jamming the Pokenavs' signals. It's impossible to make any calls."

Lorelei put in, matter-of-factly, "I suspect that this man, John Rook, has somehow hacked the Tower's various systems. After all, he was able to display his own… countenance on the jumbotron. He obviously has some sort of hold on the Tower's systems, so using its radio equipment to produce a Nav-jamming frequency is… logical."

"Rook's a tough bugger," grunted Bruno. "He killed Will, _snap_,just like that. He could be capable of anything if he just…"

"It appears that we have been preempted in our liberation," said the Champion, again cutting off his inferior. He spoke no more but nodded at the arena.

His four companions traced his gaze.

A bulky, yellow form was picking itself up (rather conspicuously) the debris of battle and making its way quietly toward the heart of the field.

(-o-)

It was a long, difficult fight. One of the worst we've ever been through. And somehow, Saturn was still holding out. All of his anger and fear seemed to be channeled through his attacks, into his weakening legs. I was honestly surprised that he had lasted that long…

It wouldn't be much longer, I could tell. Somehow, impossibly, Rook's Pokemon barely showed any sign of injury. Where Saturn was hanging on by the skin of his teeth, Heracross barely seemed to be breaking a sweat (I don't know of bugs can sweat, but you know what I mean). It was as if it (and all of Rook's other Pokemon, for that matter) was filled with some sort of unfaltering, immeasurable energy. Ethereal strength… it was weird, and as long as he had that strength, I never stood a chance.

"Ah," sighed Rook as Heracross sidestepped a slackening Vine Whip, only to reach back and grab the tendril from the air. The bug Pokemon gripped it firmly. Saturn could not retreat. "And so it ends."

"I still have one more Pokemon!" I protested.

"Yes, but this one is your strongest you hope dies with its defeat."

This was true: I knew Calypsa was no match for Heracross, let alone the Lucario that still waited to fight. She was strong but… Rook's Pokemon had more than just strength; they had true, ineffable powers.

Who was I kidding? I was through. My life was… done…

"Thunder!"

A golden arc of energy struck Heracross in the back. For a few seconds, which passed like relieving hours, the bug Pokemon was wracked with painful voltage. When the attack stopped, Heracross was finished. Its grip on Saturn's vine was released, and my Pokemon drew back thankfully.

Rook sighed angrily and turned around. His Lucario turned with him, eying the competition cynically.

Electivire stood, chest heaving but stills strong and proud, behind him. Sparks danced over his fur, leftovers from the attack.

Richard, who had clearly incited the attack, seemed to be at a loss of what to say. I'm sure you know by now how rarely this happens.

"Oh," crooned Rook, miming a sad face. "You have made such a terrible mistake…"

With a nod, Lucario vanished. It… that was the fastest attack I had ever seen. Before I could even blink, Electivire was flying, blasted into the stands by an Extreemspeed. Seconds later, a dust cloud rose from the floor in Lucario's wake, marking its path. There was another flash of movement and Richard's podium was shattered at the base. He was flung up to somewhere near his Pokemon, battered against the metal bleachers.

"Richard!" I screamed in horror. He did not move. His body was sprawled awkwardly across a bench. A few people were tentatively running to see to him.

Oh no, oh no, oh no, oh no…

"GET HIM SATURN!"

Dozens of vines burst into the air, flailing massively, rapidly at Rook and his Pokemon. He considered them, unimpressed.

"You seem to have forgotten the rules, Ian," he said. "There was… an interference. And the by the rules, stated at the beginning of our little skirmish, I am now entitled to punish you as I see fit."

Rook rolled up the sleeve of his suit. There was something like a wristwatch around his upper arm. He raised it to his lips and said, loud enough that we could all hear, "Self destruct, now."

There were a few seconds of calm. Nothing happened. I wondered… was it possible? Could Rook's devices have failed?

He turned to face me once more.

"Goodbye," he said, and began to walk away, as if he could escape before the airship crashed.

The airship…

With a horrible, metal scream, a dozen round explosions spilt the sky. Fire was everywhere, in a huge, burning pupil over the battlefield. Casey! Somehow, I knew she wasn't dead yet. But, at best, she now had a few seconds.

The gasbag caught fire. The flames tore through them at once, eating up the combustible gas instantly. Fire and metal roared. The airship dropped from the sky like a comet. I looked at my dad, but could not find him in the screaming throng.

I sighed. I wasn't ready. I was terrified. I refused to accept that I would be dead in seconds, but knew that it was inevitable. I was done. It was all… done.

I closed my eyes, and waited for the end.

The Tower shook with the impact…

Thirty seconds later, long after the airship should have crashed, my eyes were still closed. The sound of roaring flame still filled my ears. I was sweating: I could feel the heat of the inferno on my forehead. Was I dead? Was this just the feeling of life, seeping away?

I opened my eyes. The end had not come.

The airship hung in the black atmosphere. It was within the lip of the arena… in fact, its burning tail seemed to have connected with the upper few roars of seats, thus the shaking Battle Tower.

So the ship hadn't killed everyone yet. But why? What was holding it up?

I looked down, tracing the bent skeleton of the _Sebastian._

Oh my God…

Holding up the airship, by its nose, and supporting its entire weight with its powerful, golden arms, was a Dragonite. I recognized it instantly as Matt's. But… no, that couldn't be right, I had to be seeing things. Was someone riding it?

I looked closer. A lanky, human-shaped shadow hung easily on Dragonite's shoulders. The figure's body seemed to be solidly black; whoever it was, he or she was wearing some kind of full-body suit. And a wide brimmed hat.

The figure turned to face me. There was something distinctly male about the rider. I don't know what, I was just it was a he. Brown hair poked out from under the hat, and bright green eyes stared at me blankly. Some sort of balaclava was pulled over his face, hiding all of his other features.

"Get out of here," said a voice from the direction of the rider. Was it…? No, it couldn't be.

I was hearing things. Seeing things.

Needless to say, I did not leave.

At the sight of the dragon Pokemon, I felt something quiver in my belt. Without a word, Combusken appeared beside me in a burst of red light. She looked euphoric, and cawed loudly at Dragonite; Matt's other Pokemon! I guess she recognized its presence, somehow.

The dragon Pokemon glanced over its shoulder, despite its load, and nodded amicably at Combusken.

Not quite easily, but without too much effort, Dragonite heaved the airship into the sky. The rider leapt from its back and into the burning mass of the zeppelin. His dark form vanished in the blaze. I thought I knew where he was going, and prayed I was right.

The airship continued to rise, carried on Dragonite's pulsing wings. Everything was silent, other than its flapping, and the crackling of the flame. I could almost hear the buzz of the spotlights, the breathing of the awed crowd.

Rook was too shocked to move. For a few moments, he just stood, watched Dragonite and its rider move his trump card to where they could drop it safely.

He cracked.

"Impossible!" he screamed, warping his vile face with a scream. "You are dead! You cannot be here!"

The sky, and the rider and Pokemon harbored in it, did not answer. With that, Rook seemed to turn his anger on me.

"End this now!" he ordered his Lucario, his last remaining Pokemon. "Kill him! Kill him!"

With a nod, the canine Pokemon charged first toward Saturn, no doubt planning to eliminate my last line of defense. My Pokemon tried to struggle into a ready position. His vines, extended in anger moments before, lay limp on the ground. He was out of energy; he had fought more than any Pokemon should. And perhaps, this was how it ended.

I looked at Combusken. She did not look back.

With an avian scream, Combusken threw herself headlong at the oncoming Lucario.

I don't know what made her do it. Perhaps she had somehow equated Rook to Matt's death. Perhaps she felt protective of the weakened Venusaur, despite her violent aversion of me and anything having to do with me. Maybe it was just bloodlust. I suspect a combination. Whatever it was, Combusken had hellfire in her eyes (or, more accurately, her beak) as she crashed to the floor and barreled toward Saturn.

Lucario was almost to him, but stopped as it noticed the rushing fire Pokemon. Lucario stopped, stood up from its stooping run. It did not look particularly surprised, but instead, more than a little annoyed.

Combusken jumped, flinging her feet forward and Double Kicking so rapidly that they became tan blurs of foot and claw. Lucario moved its arms effortless, and somehow blocked all of the incredibly fast attacks. Realizing that her charge was failing, Combusken unleashed a jet of angry flames to cover her bounding retreat.

I wasn't issuing any orders. She seemed to have taken it onto herself to destroy Rook and his Pokemon alone.

The fight lulled for a moment. The two Fighting Pokemon stood back, eying each other cautiously.

Before Combusken could react, Lucario vanished and sped past my Pokemon. The force of his passing sent Combusken flying, but she wasn't finished yet, not by a long shot. She landed gracefully on the edge of the arena, gripping a guardrail with her avian feet. She inhaled sharply and loosed a volley of fireballs at her reappearing foe.

She struck Lucario coming out of its Extreemspeed. It didn't have time or space to recover and dodge. The Embers seared its metal skin, turning it red hot in places. Lucario yelped in pain and hopped back.

Rook made a small sign, and Lucario, cupped its palms. A sphere of blue aural energy manifested there before launching itself at my Pokemon.

Combusken's eyes widened in fear and she jumped out of the sphere's path, just in time. No sooner had she landed back on the battlefield then did Lucario send a Force Palm attack ripping toward her. She was knocked back, into a wall this time. Several metal plates were dislodged.

"Combusken, Focus Energy!" I suggested. And to my surprise, she listened. Waves of heat appeared around Combusken; they rolled over her like miniature waves, building and glowing around her head and feet and hands.

She took over once more from there.

Fire sprouted from Combusken's wrists and engulfed her hands so that they became boxing gloves of fire. With another screech, she thundered forward, palms blazing.

Lucario met her. Its paws glinted metallically and small conical claws sprouted. Lucario roared (a much more impressive noise, admittedly, than Combusken crowing) and charged.

Fire Punch met Metal Claw repeated with chimes of light and bursts of heat. Lucario seemed to be taking the advantage. It slapped my Pokemon's blows away and retaliated fiercely with jarring slashes. It was clear that Combusken was heavily outmatched. She was my newest, most inexperienced Pokemon and Lucario was one of Rook's best.

She failed, almost at once. Lucario dispensed her quickly with a final Aura Sphere.

Combusken crumbled quickly to the ground. It was a heartbreaking sight, but not an unforeseen one. Combusken reeled back and fell on her back. A thin, keening noise escaped her beak.

So it was over for me: Rook now had a clear shot and he had won. Combusken had never really stood a chance, but she had put up a surprisingly good fight. I felt warm inside, almost happy, even though her loss meant my… demise. I inhaled deeply and faced Rook.

His cheeks bunched up in something resembling a smile, but there was sadness in his amber eye.

"It's over," he said, "for both of us now, you realize."

"Yes," I said. I know.

And I did know. I was going to die now, but Rook was going to die with me. And at least all of the innocent bystanders in the arena would survive.

My dad would still be alive; this was good, even though I was breaking my promise to him, leaving him for good. But he was a strong man, and he would overcome it. I was sure.

Richard would still be alive. Some part of me absolutely certain he had not died when Rook threw him into the stands. Yes, I could see him stirring now. So that was ok.

And Casey… well, maybe Casey would just survive too. I hoped the rider and Matt's Dragonite would bring her back to my dad and Richard. They would know what to do with her. They would keep her safe like I hadn't been able to.

My eyes were still locked with Rooks. I nodded at him, and he at me. We were ready to go.

Without issuing a command, Rook's Lucario raised its hands, palms out, and aimed them at me. Looking at the pads of its paws was like looking down the barrel of a loaded shotgun. I sighed, one last time. It would not hurt, I thought.

There was a flash of blue and the Aura Sphere was hurtling toward me. I was more certain that I would die here then I had ever been before, even when the burning airship was bearing down on me. I didn't close my eyes though. That just didn't seem right.

"No you don't!" screamed my father.

A shadow leapt from the stands, directly into the path of the Sphere. For a second, the canine form eclipsed its light, and then the blue glow vanished. My father's Mightyena dropped from the air and landed on the battlefield. He was badly hurt: Aura Sphere had a type advantage over him and had done a lot of damage. But he was still standing strong. With surprising agility, my father vaulted over the railing and to the field.

"Do not intervene or you will die as well!" shouted Rook, but he did not sound totally convinced.

"No, Rook," said another voice. I looked up to see Ryoku, closely followed by the Elite Four, hopping from row to row toward us. He didn't look happy. "No one is dying here today."

There was a procession of red flashes.

Luc, Ryoku's Pikachu, appeared beside my dad's Mightyena. As one, the two charged forward and smashed into Lucario with twin Quick Attacks. The fighting Pokemon went flying…

…with a simian scream, Bruno's Primeape dropped from the black sky. It snorted, spit steam and pounded Lucario into the ground, which cracked at the impact. Primeape jumped again, just in time to avoid…

…Lance's Dragonair that snaked up, Wrapped Lucario in its indigo coils and squeezed it powerfully. Lucario yelped in pain. It looked around, but in its panic it could not focus on Rook, or hear his orders…

…but Lucario could not look at anything much longer. Lorelei's Jinx waddled up, waved her glove-like hand at Lucario's face. Its eyes closed instantly at the motion; the Hypnosis took control at once…

…Koga's Muk flowed gelatinously down and engulfed Rook before he could move. The poison Pokemon belched and five pokeballs popped out, drenched in slime. With a chime, Lucario vanished into one of them.

"I should kill you," said Ryoku, "immediately for your innumerable crimes against humanity. You are violent, obviously unstable, and probably certifiably insane, and I do not know of a court in the world that would no sentence you to death.

"But to kill is not my place. You are under arrest, and you will be tried, and no doubt sentenced to death or life in prison. I, personally, do not care which. But know this, John Rook: whatever the courts may decide, whatever your fate may be, you are finished. You will never be free again to wreak havoc on the world. It is over, and _you have lost_."

Rook's deformed mouth opened but no words came out. Instead, an animal scream burst from his lips; it said a lot of things. It told of anguish, pain, frustration, and maybe, just maybe, a little bit of relief. Relief that a difficult life of struggle against everything and everyone was over.

I don't know for sure: it wasn't for me to decipher.

(-o-)

"Ian?"

I was sitting on an upturned metal plate that had once comprised the floor of the Battle Tower's prized ceiling arena. It had been bent into precisely the shape of an armchair, and I was making good use of it.

After a physician had checked me out and made sure I wasn't injured, someone had draped a towel over my shoulders and told me to go sit down. I had found a bottle of water and done just that. Around me, people moved. The thronging people left the Battle Tower, except for a few that chose to remain behind with my family and the League Officials to help clean up, batten down the fort. Some were hurrying to and fro searching for any remaining hold Rook may have had on the Tower, for clues as to how he easily turned their systems into tools of his own. I didn't think they would find anything. Any evidence would have crashed and burned with the airship.

Oh, and Combusken: she was slumped against my knee, sitting on the ground. She wasn't glaring at me, or attacking me, but I think that that was just because she was too tired to move any more. She had violently refused any medical attention thus far. Steam curled from her nostrils, so I knew she wasn't totally out… but Combusken seemed to be waiting for something. I was too.

"Ian?" the voice repeated.

Suddenly, everything snapped into focus. The world had been melting around me, into the waking-dream of total exhaustion. But that voice…

I had to wake up.

Casey.

She was standing beside my chair, her hand on my shoulder. I hadn't even noticed her come up. Despite my total lack of energy, I was on her in a moment. It was the best hug we'd shared; Casey was shuddering and crying, and she buried her head in my chest. I wrapped my arms protectively around the back of her head.

"It's over now," I said, and I believed it. Now it finally was. "We're done. We can go now."

"Yeah," she said. We didn't say anything more.

I looked over Casey's shoulder and saw Dragonite standing regally in the shadows at the edge of the arena. Combusken had somehow managed to get over to it and the black-clad rider was helping my Pokemon up.

"Just a second," I said, releasing Casey. I jogged toward the dark man and my dead brother's Pokemon. "Hey!" I called to him. "Who are you? What are you doing here with my brother's Pokemon? What just happened?"

He didn't answer me. Instead, he held up a black-gloved hand; I felt instantly compelled to stop, and did, almost against my will.

"I can't explain now," he said, and his voice sounded more garbled than it had before, like it was being said through a megaphone. He must've been using some sort of voice-changing device. "But you don't need to worry about anything. Leave this place and continue your journey. You will safe. I will make sure of that."

He placed a hand on Combusken's shoulder and looked into her large eyes. Something passed between them, something I would never know or understand, and then it was over. Combusken stumbled back with a sigh, but caught herself and stood.

She turned to look at me, then bowed. Was this some sort of gesture of submission? Respect? I would have to wait until later to find out, because Combusken vanished of her own will into her ball then.

Casey ran up behind me and slipped her arm through mine, and watched the rider depart together.

He winked at us, a big, obvious wink from one of his bright green eyes (eyes that seemed so much like… his…) and took a single bound onto Dragonite's back. Even in the harsh light of the arena, I could not pick out a single fold, seam, or speck on his pitch-black clothing. Behind the mask, he was smiling. I don't know how I knew this, but I was completely sure.

Without another word, Dragonite took off. Two wing beats and it was out of the arena. It circled overhead once, then vanished, flying briefly in front of the bright, full moon.

Then, the obvious thing to say came to me.

"Thank you!" I called after him, but I knew he could not hear me.

(-o-)

So what now?

What do you do when all of your goals have been accomplished, all of your missions completed? What do you do when the train reaches the end of the tracks but still has to forge on, ever forward?

The train lays new tracks. It makes its own way.

It continues.

Everything continues. Always. That's one of the most wonderful things about life.

So what now?

That is for us to decide.


	51. Chapter 50: On Trains

Well.

Well.

Well.

This story has come a very, very long way since I started it. This, in case you didn't guess, will be the last chapter (excluding a short Epilogue). I hoped you've all enjoyed reading it as much as I did writing it. It's really brought me back… heh, yeah, I had a good time.

And it continues: after a break of maybe a week or two, I will continue and write book two. But all of you had better find it quickly and start reading, or I might lose interest. At times, it was only because of the faithfully added reviews that I kept writing this particular tale.

So, that said, enjoy the final chapter. This is your last chance to ask questions, and I'll try to answer any of them in an author's note after the Epilogue.

So. That's it. Enjoy.

**Chapter 50: On Trains**

Saffron City. Perhaps the one city in Kanto I hadn't yet visited. It was big, but in a nice kind of way. The city was unassuming, not like the massive, bright sprawl of Viridian.

And we were leaving. Saffron. Kanto. My dad.

We were free. Free to keep moving. To go west, to Johto, to Hoen, to wherever we wanted.

And best of all, Rook would not be there to pursue us.

He wound up in some maximum-security prison called Iron Island. I think it was out in the middle of the ocean, south of Johto. He wouldn't be getting out –Ryoku had been certain when he told us. All the same, we were moving on, into the next region where we would be harder to find, and my dad was going home. Ryoku assured me (apart from the others) that he would contact the Hermes and have them dispatch a few members to keep on eye on my dad, just in case. We didn't know if Rook had any ties to anyone else, any escaped ex-Storm's Eye. The Hermes were currently investigating that too.

I wondered if Volkner and his gang might be stretched a little thing. After all, Tori was still out there in the world, a current threat, and Rook was in prison. And my father's actions at the Battle Tower had shown me that he was far from defenseless…

A month had passed since Rook's arrest, since the crisis was averted, and we had left the Sevii Islands. I hadn't so much as raised a finger in battle since then. As far as I knew, neither had Richard and Casey.

The three of us were strolling at a leisurely pace through downtown Saffron City. My dad walked with. We had bought lunch from a street vendor a few blocks back, and we all chewed at a variety of snacks.

My dad had brought me some fresh clothes from Fortree (and he even we easy on the reds, this time) but I wasn't wearing them yet. After all, they weren't yet worn in, and I wanted to be comfortable today as we road the Magnet Train west to Goldenrod City.

Normally, the train would have been way to expensive for us to travel on (especially since Casey checked her bank account on a PC on Seven Island; it had been resoundingly empty; Casey had just smiled sheepishly and admitted to have poured the last of her cash into refurbishing the airship… which now lay, smoldering, like a beached whale on the shore north of the Battle Tower). But Ryoku had insisted on footing the tickets for us.

He said it was the least he could after all we'd been through.

And I guess he was right: we had been through a hell of a lot, after all.

I sighed happily and didn't freeze up as Casey slipped her hand into mine. I wasn't sure I was ok with being "with" her again, but I was willing to let her think I was for a while. She needed me, I think, and part of me still needed her too.

Well, we had each other. And Richard. And my dad. And our Pokemon.

What more do you need?

(-o-)

Rook lay on his back, half-asleep in his cell.

He had long ago tuned out the jeering of his inmates. Some hated him; even though they were murderers and rapists and all sorts of other unpleasant characters, they feared and detested Rook for things he had done, or tried to do. Mostly, they feared him. But a few showed a strange sort of haunting respect; to them, Rook was a legend, a story told to inmates to inspire them, give them hope. He was a folktale. A hero. Saint John, they called him.

Saint John, on Iron Island. Death Row.

He was going to die. They had given him two months stay in the penitentiary (one month had passed, and Rook had barely moved from his bed except to eat), then execution. Despite his horrendous crimes, he was going to be ended like all the other common criminals: lethal overdose.

Rook was slightly insulted at this. He had been expecting something more painful, more fitting, to end his life…

But mostly, he was disappointed. He had let Jamie down. He had avenged her death, yes, but failed to survive himself, which would have completed Rook, soothed him. He would die, his one mission in life only-half completed.

"I'm sorry," he whispered to her. To no one.

It had all been a ruse, a lie: the Storm's Eye had not always been a valid organization. It's mission had been pure, and Rook had been glad to be a part of it, but it had all started… it had started with a vendetta…

But what did it matter now? Rook forced himself not to dwell on it. He had come from a religious family: he was sure that he would see Jamie again soon, and they would hide from their mother and be together, brother and sister, again. Rook smiled at that.

"What are you grinning about?" snapped his warden, who happened to be passing by. "Happy to see me?"

Rook closed his eye and listened. Over the wails and sobs of the other inmates, he heard three pairs of footsteps. The warden and… who else had come?

"I have visitors," said Rook unnervingly. He heard the warden gasp quietly, sensed him stiffen. Rook smiled to himself. "Who has come to see me?" he asked without opening his eyes.

"Funny you should ask," said Volkner. There was a click, the door opened and two people entered. Rook did not open his eyes; he knew who it was, the foilers of his plan, the vandals of his diving mission. "We both thought we had better come say good by to you, Rook. This is the culmination of our efforts. With your death, the world might be… a little more peaceful for everyone else."

"No it won't," said Rook with absolute certainty. "There are always people doing evil: there is always balance. After all, someone has to help make the rest of you look good. Where would you be without villains to fight, eh, Volkner? You would be no one. Nothing."

Someone else snorted. Jasmine.

"Well, if they do, you won't be around to see it," she said coldly.

"We're here for something else as well," continued Volkner. "Last rights. We'll grant you one final request, Rook. Within reason, of course. What do you want? Favorite last meal? Burial preference? A clean suit? Most people just want a smoke and then their on their way, but you… I can already tell that you want something else. What is it?"

Rook was already thinking. He did want to look his best when he met Jamie in the afterlife… but he didn't think that clothing would matter much, once he was dead. But there was something else, something that would.

"Make me a face," he said. "A beautiful golden face to die in."

Volkner did not sound particularly surprised when he spoke. He actually chuckled.

"Figures. I knew you'd pick something… unique like that. Well, Jasmine is pretty good with metals. I'm sure she can make you a lovely mask…"

"No," Rook corrected, "a face. I had a mask once. I do not want that again. This time, I want a face. I know you will not disappoint me, Mr. Volkner. This, after all, my final request."

Once his visitors had departed, Rook opened his amber eye and stared at the ceiling of the room.

"Yes," he said. He was proud of his choice. "She will be so proud."

(-o-)

"You kids be safe now, you hear?" said my dad, trying unsuccessfully to comb down my newly trimmed but still curly hair. "Call me whenever you have time Ian and… Richard, you still haven't called your parents, have you? Casey, keep these boys out of trouble. Honestly, their both hopeless…"

"And if you're ever in the neighborhood of Foretree, don't hesitate to drop by. I'm mostly just sitting around, gathering dust with my books these days. I go Lilycove for contests every now and then, but it's a young man's game and these days I mostly just walk in the woods with my old hound. But don't feel obliged, or anything, I was merely suggesting…"

"I'd love to see where Ian lives," said Casey cheerily. I rolled my eyes as my dad beamed at her. They had gotten along well since meeting at the Battle Tower, which was good but… well, really all that did was encourage my dad to tell her embarrassing stories about me.

We each shook hands with my dad as the Magnet Train began powering up behind us. It was a fast train and departed about an hour before sundown; we would arrive in Goldenrod at dawn the next day. The night-train was apparently the only tickets Ryoku could get at such short notice, but I didn't care: it saved us having to buy another night at a hotel or setting up our own tents again.

In the morning my dad was boarding a different train, more of a tram really, that would take him to the local airfield. There, a dirigible was waiting to bring him home.

But just then, it was time for us to depart. I gave my dad a hug; we were both feeling much safer now that Rook was out the picture, and he had eased up on me a bit. After we had survived the incident at the Tower, something changed in him. I think he looked at life differently, both his life and mine. And it was better, I think. I don't know for sure, but I believe that he's happier now.

We took our seats on the train. I was next to the window, and my dad stood just outside waving. With a pang, I was reminded of the day Richard, Matt, and I left the airfield in Foretree to come to Kanto… that fateful flight that Matt didn't survive.

In one way, we were coming full circle. Leaving one region to explore another…

My dad tapped the train window. Before I could wedge it open, the train slowly began moving, chugging away toward Johto. My dad jogged along beside the train, still gesturing for me to open the window. I got it, just before the platform ended and my dad stopped running.

"Ian, I completely forgot, in Goldenrod, at noon tomorrow…" his voice began to fade with the distance and noise of the train station, but I caught a little more. "Airfeild… find… Mr… sent his… meet you, and… travel…. Goodbye and good luck!"

I didn't understand everything he said, but smiled and waved goodbye like I did. There was time to figure it out on the train.

(-o-)

I related Richard and Casey what my dad had shouted at the station. They both agreed that it would probably be a good idea to go to the airfield in Goldenrod and see what he was talking about. I wondered what he had meant, but honestly, I didn't think about it too much. I was going west. I was free. I had friends. I was happy.

I had never been to Johto before, apart from Matt's funeral in Azalea Town, and I hadn't really been paying attention there. Casey was from Johto. She was going home, and I wondered how she felt about it.

The sun ignited the western sky, like a target for us to ride the train into. From our window, we could just glimpse the silhouette of Mt. Silver to the northeast. It stood there, like a guardian. The Johto League, which had only recently become autonomous from Kanto's, had its Headquarters somewhere on the mountain's Peak.

We talked for a while, but we were tired. I wasn't long before we were all asleep.

We didn't talk about Richard's and my battle. It was still a sore subject.

Due to a series of obscure rules, Richard and I should have both, technically speaking, been disqualified. Ryoku made an exception. We were to fight again, three days after our match, but Richard was still recovering from being knocking into the stands and all of my Pokemon other than Calypsa were still recovering as well. While Richard was still unconscious in bed, I told Ryoku that I would submit and declare Richard the winner. After staring at me strangely for a while, Ryoku allowed me to drop out. I was a little disappointed, but a lot more relieved.

Richard and my dad thought I had been disqualified; only Casey knew the truth, and seemed be a little mad at me for doing it.

"Ian, it was just a battle," she had told me. "It meant nothing! It was just for fun."

"No," I had said quietly. "No it wasn't."

Not that it mattered now.

I felt a little bad about this, and it cluttered my head along with the other challenges of the world. For example: where was Tori? What was she doing? Nothing good, I was sure.

And what about the dark rider, who had saved Casey and the Battle Tower with my brother's Pokemon? Casey said that she black out when the Foretress Exploded and didn't wake up again until Dragonite set her down on a bench in the arena. The rider had said nothing to her. But he had said something to Combusken: and whatever it was, she seemed a lot more cheery lately. She was kinder (or, at least, less unkind) and more obedient… in short, she was actually a usable Pokemon now. But that didn't help us. The rider's identity, and his reasons for traveling with Dragonite, remained opaque.

Lastly…

…was this really the end? Was Rook out of our lives forever? It seemed incredibly likely. He had been sentenced to death. The execution would take place in about a month, Ryoku had explained by video-mail. We could rest easy… but my instinct told me otherwise. I remembered the last time we thought that Rook was gone forever, and how that had worked out for us.

But despite that, I felt that it was really just old nerves telling me Rook could still hurt us. We were free from, free from the world, and we were going west.

I've said that a lot in this chapter, I know, but it was really important to me. Still is.

I sighed and closed my eyes, let myself drift into sleep. Richard was already out, and silently, Casey snuggled up against me, nestling her head on my shoulder. My own head was against the glass of the window, which did not shake or jolt at all. Gotta love that magnet technology. My Pokemon rested, each silent and warm in their own recognizable red-and-white pokeballs, on my belt. It was reassuring, knowing that they were there.

Maybe not forever, maybe not even for long, but just then, we were safe.

The train rolled west, into the burning hole of the sun. Into Johto. Into the future.


	52. Epilogue: Chess

**Epilogue: Chess**

_In a room, in a tower, in a city. _

_The particular room, tower, and city are irrelevant. They are only parts of the location, nodes on the network. Squares on the board._

_The walls of this room were not, in fact, walls. They were screens, a collection of panoramic panes that surrounded, in a perfect circle, a table. The room was several stories high, and colorful bursts of light and excited bubbles of sound trickled in from the many televisions. _

_A man sat at one end of the table, which was a perfect square._

_A squat, square computer stood like an alter opposite him._

_The computer. _

_It was quite a piece of work: it was linking, visually and audibly, and processed carefully all of the information it absorbed. It learned things like a sponge, processed them like a savant, and projected them helpfully onto the table. Every action by any world leader, advertising company, or any of the many useful "pawns" the man had marked as significant was recorded and translated into movement…_

…_on a chess board. _

_With a pulse of magnetic force, the computer moved a pawn forward. It was white, the first move of the game. _

_The man._

_The light from the many screens caught the folds of his suit, the lines of his hair. But had there been anyone else in the room to see him, they would have found his face impossible to describe. Despite the many reflections and illuminations of the screens, the man's face remained in shadow. But his suit was nice. And his hair was dark auburn in a short business cut, combed back, with a small, incongruous bun at the nape of his neck. A round tin amulet was pinned to the knot of his tie; it was green and yellow, in the shape of a yin-yang sign. _

_He smiled in the dark, and for a brief moment, his teeth shown, white, in the darkness of the room. He had a smile of confidence, of power. _

_A smile of victory. _

_He looked up, checked the many screens. On one, displaying a hacked video camera, he caught a glimpse of Ian Cartwright, asleep in a soft grey seat. There was a copper haired girl, Cassidy Ryne, sleeping with her head on his shoulder. And Richard Davis, who, unknown to him, had a message waiting on his PC which would inform him that he was cordially invited to compete in the Johto League Challenge at the request of the region's Champion, Ryoku Suzuki._

_In another screen, the man saw a cave, and a girl inside it. She was small, with long dark hair trussed elegantly up. Her dress was patterned white and black; she looked thoroughly regal. Three woman knelt before her, and three massive birds stood impressive behind her. Tori LeTour. _

_In a third, John Rook lay silently in his cell, his one good eye closed. He was waiting to die. He was ready to pass on. _

_Finally, another young girl skipped down the sidewalk. She wore a white knit cap over her short brown hair; she was young, a trainer happily starting her journey like so many others. Two Pokemon bounded at her heels. The man did not know who she was, but he did know that if the computer was showing him a picture of her that she would be important in the near future._

_Pawns, pawns, pawns._

_With one finger, he moved forward one of his own, black pawns. His smile continued. _

"_So the game begins," he said in a voice like electrical current. "Your move."_

_A red light flashed on the computer like a blinking eye and it considered the screens._

_Everything had significance. Everything needed to be accounted for._

_The machine considered its options._

_The man was already planning his next move._

**The Beginning Ends**


End file.
